A Recipe For Love and Laughter
by Mistress of Serenity
Summary: A delicious mixture of one shots and short stories involved around the daily life of all of your favourite Yugioh 5Ds pairings-AkiYusei, CarlyJack, MikageJack, UshioMikage with a little dash of RuaRuka humor and some Crow on the side. HIATUS
1. A Birthday To Remember

**Chapter One:**

"_A Birthday To Remember"_

"Yusei Fudo, I demand to know where you are taking me right this instant!" grumbled an infuriated Aki Izayoi, her chestnut brown eyes narrowed and her lower lip pouting as she glared impatiently at the back of the man before her. Seated infront of Aki, a crimson red motorcycle helmet concealing his unusually spiked raven-black hair streaked in lightning gold with his gloved hands on the steering handle and his night blue eyes fixed on the road ahead was Yusei Fudo. The eighteen-year-old duelist from the Satellite chucked lightly at the impatient expression presently on Aki's face….finding her rather adorable at that moment. Glancing back at her from the side of his face from behind the shield of his helmet, Yusei raised one finger to his mouth, an amused smirk playing at his lips and said, "It's a surprise,"

"What kind of surprise?" Aki questioned curiously.

"If I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise now, wouldn't it?" Yusei implied calmly.

"True," Aki admitted, "but don't I at least deserve an explanation as to why you dragged me out here on a Sunday night?!"

It was _true_.

It was Sunday 7th June and Aki had planned to spend her evening quietly by herself in the comforts of her home apartment curled up on her soft water bed with nothing but a good book (romance novels were her favourite genre preference---surprisingly) and a tub of her favourite ice-cream with some whipped cream and would call that a night.

Not quite the fun way for someone of her stature to spend her own birthday, right?

Yes, that day was her birthday---her nineteenth birthday to be exact. That day she would cross another bridge on her never-ending road to womanhood not like Aki felt like celebrating much. In all honesty, Aki disliked birthdays especially her own considering that the last eighteen birthdays she had had in the past had been disastrous including the one she had intended to spend with her father but unfortunately ended up missing the joys of opening nicely wrapped presents and observing the smiling faces of her parents as she blew out the dimly lit candles of her birthday cake all the while making her wish considering that her father had been on one of his usual business trips overseas and had arrived too late to be with his daughter on her birthday again for the umpteenth time.

However her last birthday party with her parents was the not the worst part----the time she had truly started hating her birthdays started after she had unknowingly awakened her power as one of the five legendary Signers and had accidentally send her beloved father hurling into the wall almost injuring him severely. Unable to control her monstrous abilities caused by the wretched mark on her arm, other people----the normal powerless people often steered clear of her and never bothered to associate themselves with her out of fear of being harmed by her and because of that Aki often spent her birthdays alone especially after she was sent to the Duelist Academy or when she had started to unleash her powers on others on purpose and her memories were haunted by those awful times.

There were birthdays where she had **no**_ birthday cake_------no sponge cake smothered with layers of strawberry icing. No strawberries sprinkled with white flakes of sugary sweetness for her to eat. No birthday candles for her to wish away her problems.

There were birthdays where she had received **no** _presents_----who would bother to buy a gift for a witch.

There were birthdays where she had **no **_people_ to spend it with----no friends and she had practically disowned herself from her own family refusing to talk to either of them.

There were even birthdays which she had spent with Divine-----but she would rather not think about those times spent with that man. Even though those times were slightly….nice since she finally had someone who she loved and knew cared about her in return to celebrate his time of birth with, they were still…painful to think about especially after what she had found out.

…….And now……even when she had become a new person…………….even when she had grown and matured from her days spent with Divine……..even though she was no longer the witch that people had previously presumed her to be……even though she had learned to control her powers and realize her destiny as a Signer…….even though she had rekindled and repaired her shattered relationship with her parents and had forgiven them mainly her father……….even though she became her own woman and had learned to walk on her own two feet and to think and make her own decisions for herself and not have someone else make decisions for her and use her their own selfish desires………even though she finally had friends who needed her and whom she could depend on…….even though she had finally found her place with the remaining Signers------her brothers and sister-----her closest friends……

…..Aki still did not like her birthday. She did not even inform her friends about her own birthday---not that it would matter to them since; even though she had really planned to invite them all to spend her _secret _birthday with her, shockingly they were all preoccupied with something that she was the only one oblivious about and every time she asked about it they would all either not tell her about it, change the subject or just give her the brush off (like what Jack had done).So….despite having a new life with friends----Aki had expected to spend her birthday alone as usual-----or so she had thought until Yusei unexpectedly appeared at her front doorstep demanding that she got dressed and come him immediately for something important. Thinking that it is some critical emergency, Aki obeyed.

Now here she was riding on the back of a red D-Wheel, her hands clinging desperately to the navy jacket of the man operating and steering the two-wheel vehicle praying to God that she doesn't fall off every time he turned maneuvering in between the cars and other D-Wheels that drove past them as the two zoomed own the illuminated highway of New Domino City heading for who knew where.

Only Yusei knew and Aki was getting angrier at being the one left out of the loop.

"This place better be good Yusei," Aki grumbled pressing her cheek against the surface of Yusei's jack observing to her left, a view of the ocean and the cluster of stars which hovered above it in collaboration with the light of the night's full moon, their glowing bodies reflecting off of the transparent surface of the water.

Yusei merely smiled at Aki's complaint as he took another sharp turn on the high increasing his velocity as he zoomed down the new road. It was another half an hour later when Yusei and Aki had arrived at their destination at last and the D-Wheel came to a steady halt, its roaring engine silenced.

Removing the helmet, Yusei swung his other leg over the seat of the D-Wheel as he climbed off resting the helmet on his half of the seat before outstretching a hand to help Aki off.

The strawberry-red-haired female dressed in scarlet accepted the man's hand as she too got off of the immobile vehicle, happy that they had finally arrived at their rendezvous spot but still inquisitive as to where they actually were as her brown optics scanned their present whereabouts.

The two were presently standing in a clearing that appeared to be in the middle of New Domino Park judging from the forests of tall trees which surrounded the area enveloping it in a blanket of darkness.

There was no one else there but her and Yusei and as the minutes passed, Aki's level of patience and fluctuated as now she really wanted to know the reason as to why she was brought to this strange place and her inquisitiveness was hinted clearly on her face as she faced Yusei who was presently peering at his watch.

"What is this place? Don't tell me _this_ is the surprise," Aki scoffed.

"Don't worry it's not," Yusei answered. "At least it's only part of the surprise," he added honestly, "the rest will come in a minute, just be patient,"

"No I will not be patient, I've waited long enough!" Aki huffed, "now you listen to me Mr. Fudo, I want the truth! I know you and everyone have been keeping a secret from me all week and I demand to know what it is! I'm tired of being left out. I thought you were my friend and friends don't keep secrets from each other, right? So don't I deserve to know what is going on?"

"You're right Aki, you do have a right to know the secret and I'm sorry, on behalf of myself and the others that we kept it from you for so long," Yusei said apologetically, "since you want to know so then I'll tell you but only if you do one last thing for me,"

"What is it now?" Aki groaned.

"I want you to close your eyes and count to ten out loud," Yusei instructed.

Aki raised a brow. "You're kidding me right?" she said incredulously.

"Nope I'm very serious," Yusei answered calmly, "now are you going to do it or not?"

"Do I really have a choice?" Aki questioned. Yusei shook his head and Aki sighed exasperatedly. "Fine," she said in defeat as she closed her eyes, opened her mouth and in the loudest voice she could muster, began counting.

"One………………two………….three………………four…………………...five…………………….six………..seven……………………………eight……………………………nine…………………………..TEN!"

"There I did it. Now will you tell me the secret?" Aki declared after she had finished counting, "Yusei?"

Aki opened her eyes, expecting the other Signer to be standing there infront of her fully prepared to finally tell her the truth however to Aki's astonishment, Yusei wasn't there. He was gone!

At first Aki was surprised to find the other duelist nowhere to be seen however her shock slowly bowled into annoyance. Frowning crossly, Aki balled her hands into fists and gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowing to the point of slits and her entire face flushed in vehemence. She had been deceived by the crab! Just as she was on the verge of swearing her mouth off at Yusei mentally threatening to send his Signer ass hurling straight back to the Satellite, her words got caught in her throat as Aki was unexpectedly blinded by beams of white light which shone around her from behind the trees. The source of the light came from the line of streetlights which were planted at the four corners surrounding the clearing which had been turned on automatically by themselves.

Bringing her hands up to shield her eyes from the brightness of the streetlights, Aki wondered to herself how exactly were the lights turned on. Yet Aki's thoughts were interrupted as something flew out of the shadows above the trees of the clearing. The creature was colossal and squinting her eyes against the light, Aki was able to make out that the beast was a _dragon_. The dragon was a mixture of dark red and black with dark yellow horns and dark red and black wings and crimson armor shielding its chest and arms. The dragon released an ear-splitting Battlecry which echoed throughout the night as it flew across the nightly skies, flapping its gigantic wings to stay airborne with its long black tail swishing to and fro sending powerful gusts of wind to where Aki stood and the duelist rooted herself to ground, her body struggling slightly from the pressure of the breeze.

Nonetheless Aki observed the dragon cautiously as it flew through the heavens soaring high above the clouds until its body hovered before the full moon; the moonlight enlightening its form in collaboration with the stars which shone against his wings. However Aki gasped when the gleaming yellow eyes of the beast fell on her vulnerable form standing on the grass and before the Signer knew it, the beast plunged; its body spiraling as it plummeted towards her.

Instinctively Aki dropped herself to the grass and ducked, covering her head as the dragon zoomed over missing her by a few inches. But as the dragon flew past her, Aki had managed to catch a glimpse of the creature's face and her jaw dropped as she realized the identity of the mysterious monster.

In the past couple of months, Aki had seen this particular duel monster make its grand appearance infront of crowds of roaring fans and spectators alongside its master on countless occasions and in that time, she had grown to acknowledge this beast quite well for this particular dragon wasn't no ordinary duel monster-----it was one of her allies whom she fought alongside against the plight of the Dark Signers.

Aki knew this monster very well to the point that she could easily recognize it in one glance. This duel monster belonged to the Seal of the Crimson Dragon's Wings and was additionally the favourite and best monster of her ally and fellow Signer: Jack Atlas------It was Red Dragon Archfiend.

Aki could not believe her eyes.

Was this some kind of enemy joke? What on earth was Red Dragon Archfiend doing at the clearing especially with no Jack around? It made no sense.

Just as Aki was pondering the unexpected summoning of Red Dragon Archfiend, her attention was averted elsewhere as three more dragons entered the clearing from above the threes.

The first two dragons led the threesome group gliding side by side just as the other dragon---the third one was trailing behind them.

The first dragon resembled a wyvern with no legs but arms equal to the length of its serpent-like tail. Its skin was a bluish-green hue and whereas its broad chest and shoulders alongwith its arms were clad in shimmering golden armor embedded with scarlet rubies which trailed up its long neck, its head was festooned by a crown of the same gold and crimson red material though its core was replaced by a sapphire jewel instead if a red. One its back were a pair of beautiful butterfly wings which complemented its ears and peach-coloured ears and its gingery orange eyes and behind its neck flowed a mane of sparkling green hair.

Conversely, the second dragon was different from the first dragon and was of Machine Type. It mechanical body was of gold and silver with jagged silver spikes protruding from its head and trailing down the back of its neck. Its had four wings resembling those found on an airplane with the tip of its tail in shape of what appeared to be shovel which it wagged as it flew through the skies beside the other dragon. As for the structure of its arms---one of them had a giant green and black drill as an accessory attached to its arm whereas the other claw was replaced by one hand-held bulldozer implement visually designed in semblance of loader bucket.

And lastly, the third dragon which appeared to be the biggest of all three dragons was light turquoise and aqua in colour with a chest of deep mauve and white wings of shimmering stardust. Like Red Dragon Archfiend, Aki also recognized the other three dragons----as if she could not know them.

The first dragon, the only female amongst the three---was known as Ancient Fairy Dragon and belonged to her fellow Signer sister: Ruka and was the Seal of the Rear Claw of the Crimson Dragon.

The second dragon was Power Tool Dragon who belonged to Rua, the twin brother of Ruka who was not a Signer himself but was still a comrade.

And lastly, the third and final dragon---which Aki knew more than anyone for not only had it defeated her once at the Fortune Cup ending her plight as the Black Rose Witch but it also belonged to the man who had destroyed the mask that she had hidden under for years and had opened her eyes to the truth being the reason why she had decided to join the Signers and was the one person who she admired and cherished the most in her heart.

The dragon was Stardust Dragon and was the loyal stead of the knight and Leader of the Signers known as Yusei Fudo-----the Tail of the Crimson Dragon.

Aki observed closely as Ancient Fairy Dragon, Power Tool Dragon and Stardust Dragon all joined Red Dragon Archfiend and together all four dragons encircled each other flying one after the other in a clockwise motion until….in the same simultaneous fashion, they scattered with Red Dragon Archfiend moving to the left, Ancient Fairy Dragon and Power Tool Dragon moving below with Stardust Dragon hovering just above them.

As it flew across the sky, Red Dragon Archfiend bellowed stridently as it opened its maw and unleashed a flare of scorching crimson flames and as it swerved in between the clouds, it began spelling out something with its flames. Aki could not make out what it was wording for her attention was focused keenly on Power Tool Dragon and Ancient Fairy Dragon. Either dragon was facing each other as they hovered in mid-flight and for a minute, they remained in that position……as if waiting for something. It was then that music started to play. It was a low romantic melody similar to the singing of a viola accompanied by a chorus of triumphant drums and pianos. But it was not the sudden musical intervention that surprised Aki; what shocked her more was that on cue, as the music sounded, Power Tool Dragon and Ancient Fairy Dragon both started to _dance_! If you would call that dancing!

The two dragons held each other's claws while swaying their bodies from side to side moving in time with the music. Aki could not help but laugh at such a sight between two powerful Synchro Monsters and the Signer held her chest as she giggled scandalously at the dragons. To see two legendary warriors who previously had fought alongside the Crimson Dragon actually dancing infront of her was definitely NOT what Aki had expected to witness on the night of her birthday however she still found it to be cute nonetheless.

…..And what made it cuter was that as Power Tool Dragon and Ancient Fairy Dragon were dancing, Stardust Dragon was twirling itself around like ballerina while emitting tiny balls of starlight which twinkled beautifully as they rained around them, illuminating the wings of both dragons and causing them to glitter like stardust.

Aki caught one of the balls of starlight which had landed casually in the palm of her hands and watched it closely as its radiant light brightened the brilliant smile that crossed her lips at that moment. It was magnificent. The night was magnificent and she was enjoying the performances. All music, dancing and twirling eventually ceased as Red Dragon Archfiend had finished its art and released another bellowing roar to summon the other dragons. At once, Stardust Dragon, Power Tool Dragon and Ancient Fairy Dragon all ascended and flew to the side of Red Dragon Archfiend to aid it in finishing its creation. Together all four dragons fired beams of multicoloured light and spelled out the last word.

It did not take them too long and when they were finished, all four dragons sort of bowed out and disappeared, revealing their message.

Aki looked up at the skies to see what the dragons had done and her hands shot to her mouth to conceal her shocked expression for written across the clouds in flames of red and beams of rainbow light were the three words: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY AKI!"

Aki just stood gawking. She didn't know what to say.

'………………How did they know…?' Aki thought. And she _heard_ it.

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Aki! Happy Birthday to you!" It came from the bushes and quickly wiping away the swelling tears threatening to fall from her eyes, Aki turned to meet the beaming faces of her fellow comrades: Jack, Rua, Ruka and Yusei who all were approaching her slowly with a vanilla frosted, chocolate and strawberry upside-down birthday cake decorated with red icing shaped as roses and topped with candy-coated strawberries and nineteen distinctively placed and dimly lit birthday candles which was propped on silvery plate being carried by the twins.

Aki only smiled at them all and tried her best to stop crying. The other four grinned at their friend. Jack and Yusei took the cake from the twins and held it up to Aki's face.

"How old are you now? How old are you now? How old are you now? How old are you now?" the twins sung. Aki grinned down at them both.

"C'mon Aki, we don't have all night y'know. Blow out ya freaking candles!" Jack badgered. Opposite from him, Yusei rolled his eyes at the blonde.

Despite herself, Aki laughed before leaning over slightly and blowing out the candles. Rua and Ruka cheered and clapped after Aki blew out of the candles of her cake, make her blush.

"How? How did you guys find out?" Aki questioned her friends.

"You could say that two little birdies told us" answered Rua sniggering.

"We found out from your momma and papa," Ruka clarified.

"Though it would have been better if you had told us yourself," Jack huffed.

"Jack!" Yusei said warningly.

"Well it would," Jack implied. Aki frowned sadly.

"I'm sorry everyone. Jack's right, I should have told you. It's just that I'd spent most of my birthdays alone that the idea of actually spending it with company---with friends---I just---I'm sorry," Aki said.

"It's alright Aki, you don't have to apologize. Remember we all know the pain that you went through in the past and we understood," Yusei said considerately, resting a hand on Aki's shoulder reassuringly, "all you have to remember is that you are not alone anymore and that you have friends now---friends who know you and care about you----"

"……and like cake just you!" Rua interrupted as he fingered Aki's birthday cake, scooping up some of its icing wit his finger and eating it.

"Rua! That's Aki's cake. Can't you control your stomach for a few seconds?" Ruka scolded her brother.

"What? I'm hungry! Besides Aki doesn't mind since we're friends, right, right?" Rua said winking at Aki. Aki smiled lightly with a small nod and in turn, Rua grinned triumphantly sticking his tongue out at his sister who pouted cheekily.

"Anyways I really can't thank you guys enough for this, all of this," Aki said, "especially the dragon dance,"

"Don't thank us, all the credit should go to Yusei, he's the one who planned everything," Ruka said.

"Thank you Yusei," Aki said, smiling at the black-haired Signer. Even when he was tanned, the hint of a tiny blush was still visible across Yusei's face.

"….Um…..you're welcome……but I shouldn't take all of the credit," Yusei said modestly, "It was Rua who came up with the dragon dance,"

"It's true. I saw it on TV once," said Rua, "although it wasn't dragons dancing it was birds," "….Or was it chipmunks?" Rua added unsurely.

"Well whatever it was, it was great," Aki compliment cheerfully which made the others smile.

"As much as I hate to be the one to break up such a tender moment but don't we have guests waiting?" Jack reminded.

"Oh yeah the party! C'mon Aki-nee-chan, you don't wanna keep all of your other friends and your parents waiting," Rua said as he placed his hands on Aki's back, pushing her in the direction of the other side of the park.

"What? My parents are here too?" Aki uttered in disbelief, "Even my dad?"

"Yep! Even your papa! He said that he wouldn't miss his little girl's nineteenth birthday for the world and he even postponed his last business meeting just to be at your party," Ruka explained.

Aki smiled wholeheartedly at the thought of spending her birthday with both of her parents there including her beloved father. '…._Papa….thank you!_' she thought contentedly.

"C'mon what are we waiting for? We have friends to meet and cake to eat!" Rua cheered pumping a fist in the air before snatching the birthday cake out of the hands of an oblivious Yusei and making off with it before anyone else could protest.

"Oi! Come back with that, you cake thief!" Jack yelled after Rua as he and Ruka sprinted after him.

As their friends ran off, Yusei heaved an exasperated sigh, holding his hand out to Aki who in turn accepted it with a smile and allowed him to lead her away to where the real festivities were being held.

Like Rua had said, there was a party with guests waiting for Aki to arrive and both of her parents were there alongwith Carly, Ushio, Mikage, Seiga, Yanagi, Jin, Tenpai, Nervin, Tank, Blitz, Rally and Crow. Even Director Rex Goodwin was there surprisingly and stood to the far corner of the park nearest the snack and beverage table sipping silently on a champagne glass of blueberry wine while his associate Lazar, was being badgered by an angered Martha after rudely attempting to cut in line at the food table pushing himself infront of little children who had came to party with Crow and Martha. The party was exactly like what Aki had dreamed for. There was a birthday cake and food and drinks together with music and party games and the best part about it was she got a chance to spend it with the people who mattered to her the most----her friends and family. She had even received gifts from everyone including the little orphans whom at all worked together to make her something and most of her gifts had turned out to be a new plant type Synchro Monsters although Carly had bought her a white teddy bear with a red ribbon tied in the shape of a rose----complaining that she didn't know what to get her and thought she might like it cause it was cute which she did.

After she had opened her last gift which was another Level Five Synchro Monster entitled Rose Harpy Lady with eighteen hundred attack points and sixteen hundred defense points (courtesy of Crow), Aki was ushered away by an eccentric Yanagi who had brought along a camera for the occasion and wanted to take a photograph of the birthday girl with all of the guests at the party.

"Alright everyone gather around Aki for the picture," Yanagi said grinning overenthusiastically as he help up the small yellow and black Kodak camera he had in his possession.

"Wait gramps, Yusei hasn't given Aki-nee-chan his gift yet," Rua spoke up. All eyes fell on Yusei Fudo in that split second. "Umm…it's alright Rua, I'll give Aki my present later, go ahead with the picture," Yusei said.

"Aww but I wanted to see what you got her," Rua whined.

"Like I said, later Rua," Yusei said, "besides, Aki doesn't want that now,"

"Who say I don't. I don't mind receiving one more gift Yusei," Aki stated.

"Is that so?" said Yusei suddenly looking a bit nervous; "well in that case, can I give it to you confidentially," Yusei pointed a finger towards the bushes. Aki nodded as she got as she rose from her seat between Rua and Carly and followed Yusei.

Now all eyes at the party, especially Aki's parents, were on Yusei and Aki, curious as to what Yusei's so called 'present' for Aki was as the two Signers disappeared behind the bushes.

"So…..where's my gift?" Aki said facing Yusei with a serious look across her face, "unless there actually is a gift. It's okay if you didn't get me a gift Yusei,"

"Oh there is a gift, it's just one of those gifts that don't need to be wrapped…..or opened," Yusei said biting his lower lip nervously as he stepped closer to Aki.

"A gift that doesn't need to be wrapped or opened? What on earth is that supposed to mean?!" Aki said incredulously glaring up at Yusei, oblivious to the fact that he was now almost two inches away from her, "Listen Yusei I have had enough games for one night. Why don't you just tell me the truth? Now are you going to give me my gift or---------"

But Aki didn't get a chance to finish her sentence for at that moment, Yusei had just leaned in and planted his lips over hers. Aki's eyes bulged in surprise. All she felt at that moment was the sensation of Yusei's lips caressing hers as he kissed her slowly yet passionately and the sentiment of her own quickening heart beating quickly from inside of chest threatening to almost burst from her body.

However; following what seemed like a millennia, the series of emotions that surged through Aki's body at that time ultimately stopped as Yusei released her from his hold over her mouth, stepping back as she allowed her to contemplate on his previous action as well as breath.

"Happy Birthday Aki," was what the raven-haired duelist murmured bashfully appearing almost embarrassed for what he had just done. But Aki did not utter a word. She didn't know what she could have said. All she did was bring her hand up to her mouth, her fingers tracing her lips where she had just received what was possibly her actual _first kiss_. "Whoa!" was the only word that came out of Aki's mouth.

"….Y----You didn't like it, don't you? My _gift_?" Yusei said nervously, sounding slightly disappointed.

"No! Your gift….your gift was _great_!" Aki said honestly, "and….I could _prove_ it,"

Now it was Yusei's turn to be shocked as Aki cupped his face in her hands and kissed him sweetly. It was amazing, in Aki's opinion, kissing Yusei. He had a genuinely _saccharine _taste of peppermint candy and chocolate mint ice-cream, or maybe it was just Aki's imagination.

All in all, that was what Yusei tasted like to Aki and the taste became more delicious when he started kissed her back with as much vigor as she did. As her fingers removed themselves from Yusei's face and coiled themselves behind his neck, entangling themselves in his silk-like roots, Yusei, in turn, had his masculine hands fondling down the back of Aki's dress until he stopped with one hand wrapped around her delicate waist and the other pressed against her back, deepening their shared kiss.

Momentarily, the two stood together…..with their bodies pressed against each other and their lips intertwined….all the while expressing the unknown feelings they shared for each other in a way neither thought imaginable.

Unfortunately for Yusei and Aki, their one romantic moment was uncouthly interrupted by the sound of tiny voices whispering from behind the bushes and the distinctive flash of a camera.

"Kissy, Kissy!"

"Nice shot gramps, this picture will look great on my _Faithshipping_ webpage!"

"Honestly, couldn't those two have found some other spot to make-out?! For God's sake there are little children present here,"

"Well it _is_ Aki-nee-chan's birthday,"

"Aww I think they look adorable together, Jack,"

"Shush! Everyone pipe down or they'll hear us!"

Instantly, Aki and Yusei parted and stepped away from each other, either two feeling extremely embarrassed at their awkward predicament. Nonetheless, Yusei recognized the small voices immediately and frowning in irritation, he spun around slowly to discover the heads of Crow, Carly, Ruka, Jack, Rua and a camera-holding Yanagi peeping at him and Aki through the bushes.

All six heads of the found culprits sweat-dropped guiltily at the annoyed expression smacked across Yusei's face.

"Heh! Heh! Yo Yusei," Crow said uneasily.

"I know this may seem that we're spying on you but for the record you brought it on yerself for being all secretive and whatnot," said Jack defensively.

"You're not mad at us, are you Yusei?" Carly asked timidly.

"Oh no I'm not mad," Yusei answered calmly, "I just want the six of you to leave Aki and me alone right after the old man with the camera hands it over!" Yusei held out his hand to take the camera.

"Aww but Yusei we need that picture to show the millions of Faithshippers out there who have been waiting for this moment," said Rua, "I mean don't you to make them happy with a little Aki and Yusei action?"

Yusei blushed at the thought of thousands, probably millions of screaming fangirls gawking at multiple copied screenshots of him and Aki kissing in what was supposed to be their _private_ moment and cringed more at the fact about it being posted over the internet where it could be seen _internationally_, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Rua….Hand that camera over now!" Yusei barked demandingly though gritted teeth, advancing towards Yanagi and Rua with his hands outstretched and his eyes gleaming. Both Yanagi and Rua gulped tensely.

"I---I don't think he's buying the excuse Rua," Yanagi said to Rua.

"Darn it! I really thought that would work," Rua said, "I guess there is only one other alternative." With that said, Rua grabbed the camera out of Yanagi's hand before bolting off with it and it didn't take Yusei long to follow after him.

"RUA!!" Yusei howled as he ran after the green-haired boy who laughed as she quickened his speed for a more evasive maneuver.

"I am really sorry for my brother and his behaviour Aki-nee-chan," Ruka apologized on behalf of her twin, "I hope his clumsiness didn't ruin your birthday,"

"Are you kidding me? This is most fun I'd ever had on my own birthday in years. Infact this is the best birthday party I'd ever had," Aki said honestly. '…..And I hope to spend many more with them,' Aki thought cheerfully laughing to herself as she, Carly, Jack, Rua, Yanagi and Crow watched observantly as Yusei continued to chase lightning Rua all around the park.

_Meanwhile……._

"Ha! I always knew that Yusei liked that Aki-chan. I guess the next thing to plan is a _wedding_, ne Izayoi-sama?" Martha joked slapping the back of Aki's dad: Hideo Izayoi who ended up choking on the slice of birthday cake he was previously eating much to the distress of his wife: Setsuko Izayoi who flayed her arms fussily, trying her best to help her husband to breath normally again.

"Did I say something wrong?" Martha said innocently looking at Seiga who laughed.  


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**Mistress:** Hi. I just became a fan of Yugioh 5Ds and this is my first time writing a Yugioh fanfic so forgive me if there are any mistakes or grammatical errors. I hope I still made a good attempt and I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter. The inspiration behind the first chapter was the fact that my own birthday was this Monday (Happy Birthday to me ^3^) so...yeah I hope you dudes liked it.

_Please review _and lemme know what you think. It's okay if you have any critiques too. I don't mind.

~Bye  


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	2. King of Her World

**Chapter Two:**

"_King of Her World"_

…They say that _life _is just one never-ending _fairy tale_…

…and that every _woman_ brought into the world was like a _fairy tale princess_…born of prestige and imperial birthright and destined to spend her days treasured by those around her and offered the finest things in life…

…However, I myself am **not** a _fairy tale princess_…I may like to be _treated_ like one once in awhile but…I am **definitely** not a _princess_.

…I am **not** the daughter of a majestic King and Queen of a land far, far away---Infact the only thing my daddy was king of was the _**King of Doughnuts**_. My parents owned a bakery and doughnut shop on the bottom floor of our home apartment building.

So I didn't have the luxury of sampling and enjoying the most delicious cuisines in the entire world but I did always get to savor the pleasure of tasting treasures of sugary pastry goodness. My parents' were like _artists_ in the kitchen and I always admired the way how their hands worked _miracles_ when it came to baking. With nothing but a bowl of flour, a cup of water, two or three sticks of butter and maybe a few tablespoons of sugar in coordination with the strength of a wooden rolling pin fueled by their determination, I have witnessed my parents forge masterpieces from nothing…whether it be towering sculptures of cakes smothered in layers upon layers of sweetened icing and decorated with different assortments of fruits and candies; perfectly prepared for any occasion…or painted portraits of chocolate syrup upon canvases of other pastry delights.

My parents' doughnuts and soy bean cakes were always the _best_ to me for I was always seen stuffing my face full of them and there was never a day I regretted loving my parents' cooking over anything else I ate…no matter how fancy it is…

…I was **not** born in a royal castle---For nearly seventeen years, my sanctuary was my own personalized bedroom suite located in the second room on the upstairs of my parents' home apartment building.

Even though I was born in _New Domino City_, my parents weren't high-class enough to afford to live in the **Tops**. But that didn't bother me one bit, I still loved my parents.

I loved my home in the city (it was closer to my elementary school at that time which was convenient for me and my parents since I could travel to school) and I especially loved my room because not only did I have it all to myself…but I could got a beautiful view of the city from the balcony of my room and occasionally I liked to watch the sunset and sometimes take photographs of it with my camera.

That was the best part of my living experience. The only downfall about my room was the special visit from my monthly visitor---No I'm not talking about _that_ monthly visitor, I was more referring to my friendly neighbourhood spider. Yep once a month, he would show up at my bedroom window and he always brought his pals alongwith him. Once a month, my bedroom resembled a Roach Motel, literally, and just like my other monthly visitor, I was always frustrated, embarrassed and cranky after Mr. Itsy Bitsy Spider came to visit. I **hate** spiders! But despite the _occasional_ bug problem, I loved my bedroom nonetheless…

…I did **not** wear the fanciest of clothes or jewelry---My wardrobe mainly consisted of my traditional orange jacket, white and blue top with a pair of dark blue jeans and orange sneakers. The only closest thing to fancy that stands insides my wardrobe is the light blue dress that I wore to prom…

…I was **not **pampered or spoiled by lines of servants wading on me hand and foot---I had to everything myself. I had to clean up after myself, wash and iron my own clothes, cook for myself (Urgh! Cooking isn't exactly one of my strongest points. I can't even boil water. Thank God for microwavable food. Instant ramen-in-a-cup makes up my breakfast, lunch and dinner on a daily basis and I'm totally satisfied with that)…

…I did **not** have the luxury of a horse and carriage to take me anywhere I wanted whenever I wanted nor did I have a handsome chauffeur to courteously offer to help me out of the carriage when I have arrived at my chosen destination----I can barely afford gas for the rundown bucket of bolts I call a car. Sometimes because of my job as a reporter-in-training, considering that my overly demanding boss never gives me a day's rest and is constantly breathing down my neck, practically harassing me to get him a juicy story, I even find myself _living _in my car

Do you know how _insanely difficult_ it is to change your clothes in the privacy of your vehicle while trying **not** to get arrested by the Sector Security Maintenance Bureau for the code violation of public nudity?

Do you know how _insanely difficult_ it is to sleep in the backseat of your vehicle and not feel totally uncomfortable especially on a cold night without a warm blanket to snuggle underneath?

Or worst yet, do you how _insanely difficult_ it is to dry your **only** pair of bra and underwear (don't ask how they got wet or why they're my **only **pair) while driving---or to be more honest, _speeding_ down the busy highway of New Domino City while trying to concentrate on the road and ignore the headache threatening to blow your brains out caused by another string of cusses and nagging insults from your boss? I tell you, it is _extremely hard_…and it certainly does not help the situation when an officer of Sector Security is stalking behind you threatening to put you in the Facility for going over the speed limit.

Heck, I even caused traffic once when my drying bra flew out of the backseat window of my car and onto the face of some guy riding on his D-Wheel. I'll let your imaginations draw out what happened next but for the record---let's just say that I'll be paying speeding tickets until I'm forty. The upside was the guy on the D-Wheel who caught my bra gave me his number. I should probably give him a call…

…And unlike most princesses, I had **independence**!

Don't get me wrong….independence is…good! I get to be my own woman; make my own decisions plus I don't have to listen to everything that my parents told me to do.

I was living life the way I wanted and that was the icing on the doughnut. As a kid growing up, becoming an adult and finally gaining independence meant one thing to me---Absolute Freedom---which was the coolest thing in the world to me…back then.

However…all that changes when you're actually pushed out of the comforts of your parent's home and into the world on your own, the scariest part being that now you have to learn how to fend for yourself without your parents to spoon feed you everything that you need. That is definitely _not cool_.

Luckily for me, my parents were not the type of parents who believed that once their child has reached the legal age of adulthood that they should be thrown out completely on their own with no further assistance from them. Nope, even as I'm eighteen going on nineteen years and on my own for the first time, my parents still consider me their little baby princess and are always willing to help me out when I needed it.

Infact, it was my parents who eagerly bought me my first laptop (which I now use to do my reporter-in-training homework) and it was them who found and rented me my own small apartment in the city. They even offered to pay the rent for me but I immediately declined.

Like I had said before, I loved my parents and I truly appreciated everything that they did for me but…honestly, how was I going to become my own adult if I allowed them to take care of every difficult situation for me. Their days of taking care of me were over and now I needed to take care of myself and I'll only depend on them when I really, really, REALLY needed their help (like if I ever needed to be bailed out of the Facility).

And until that time comes, I will have to pay for things myself mostly the important essentials like food, clothes and my apartment (from now on I'll pay the rent with my own money and not my parents').

But before I could have paid off anything I needed to find myself a decent job. Even though my dream is to become an ace reporter, sustaining myself had to come first. You don't know how many small jobs I had to take up just to save up enough money to buy myself my own car (my parents had offered to pay for that too but once again I stubbornly refused just to boost my own stubborn ego and prove to my parents' that I am more than capable of taking care of myself).

And after a year of delivering newspapers to the local residents of New Domino City or serving cheeseburgers and chilly dogs with a side of cheese fries and a diet coke at one of the local Burger Joints, I was finally able to support myself---finally buying my own car and being able to pay the rent on my own from now on.

The only horrible thing that I'm facing presently is getting the job that I actually want which is to become a reporter. I already have the equipment (digital camera, laptop) and the spunky personality that all reporters have…but getting the actual job is a lot harder than I had expected it to be. Infact being a reporter-in-training is a royal pain in the ass---if you met my boss, you'd know why.

…Fairytale princesses definitely have it **easy**. Not only did they have the beauty but they also had the luxury, the success and the fortune….and those were some of things that I wished to have in my life too.

…But even though I did not live the glamorous life that most princesses got to live, I did share some similarities with fairytale princesses in my life.

…Like a fairytale princess, I had loyal friends---friends who loved me and whom I knew I could definitely depend on when the chips were down. Just look at _Cinderella_ and _Snow White_---Snow White had the seven dwarves and Cinderella had her friendly gang of mice and Fairy God Mother with her magic wand.

…And also like a fairytale princess, I too had my very own **Prince Charming**.

…A Prince Charming who, like any Prince Charming, risked his very own life and fought courageously inorder to free me, his damsel in distress, from the cold hands of those who dared to harm me, using nothing but the strength of his legendary mystical sword to slay the beast that guarded my chamber all the while riding on the back of his mighty stead…

…Yes! I _have_ a **Prince Charming**!

…

…

…Okay…I _lied_…

…Y'see _my_ Prince Charming…isn't exactly a Prince Charming…

…I mean he **was** _charming_ (definitely charming) but…he **wasn't** exactly a _prince_…

…_My_ **Prince Charming**…was a _king_…the _**King of Games**_!

…

…

…His _mighty stead_ **wasn't** exactly a _horse_…

…_His_ **stead** was a powerful mechanical beast of the fastest velocity…faster than any mere horse…for his stead; he depended on the strength of his _D-Wheel_…

…

…

…Lastly, for _his_ **weapon**…he did not depend on the so-called might of a _feeble_ sword…

…Oh no! In his arsenal, he possessed magic---not your common Harry Potter wizardry and shear Hocus Pocus with bubbling cauldrons and potions but a different type of magic---the magic to summon forth living breathing mythical monsters to the battlefield from their imprisonment within cards of paper, not with a flicker of a wand but with a single gesture of his hands…And these beasts were _dependable-_--obeying no one else and heeding only the words of the one who called upon their powers…their one true _**master**_….

…And with these same monsters, I've seen my Prince Charming vanquish many worthy adversaries…conquering them and reducing them to nothing with a single strike from either one of these colossal beasts including his favourite _**pet**_---a winged fire dragon known only as _Red Dragon Archfiend_ whose smoldering skin and infernal eyes burned like the eternal fiery pits of the Underworld…

…

…

…And the name of this _King of Games_…_my _**Prince Charming**…with his hair as golden as the sun's rays and his eyes, a deep shade of amethyst purple---the colour of royalty…was _Jack_…**Jack Atlas**…

…Jack Atlas…the King of Games…I get Goosebumps every time I thought about him and I remember the days when I would watch his duels from the television set in my living room and I would always secretly cheer him on whenever his face appeared on screen, just like the millions of loyal spectators who were all seated inside of the Kaiba Dome to cheer their King to victory…

…For _Jack Atlas_ was a **champion**…he was **King**!

…But a _king _cannot remain a king forever…and there is always a time in every king's life when he must step down and let somebody else take the throne…

…But not all kings are willing to give up their noble title especially not to someone else who they believed was not deserving of it…

…So because of that, certain circumstances had to be undermined inorder for a king to be _properly _replaced…for there was only one way to overthrow a king---by defeating him in combat…

…Unfortunately for Jack…his dethronement came a little too soon…

…I would never forget that faithful day…the day when **Jack Atlas**---_King of Games_…_**died**_ in battle against a _commoner_ from his past…even though it was an unforeseen match, for no one exactly knew what happened, it did not change the fact that Jack…had _lost_...

…It was the most devastating moment in Jack's life…and what surprised him even more was how quickly the majority of his _so-called_ supporters betrayed and deserted him after he had lost the throne…

…It was as if Jack _had_ **died** that day---fully alive and living only for the adrenaline of battle just for the affection of mediocre people who only adored him when he was on top and easily turned their backs on him when he had hit rock bottom….

…Compared to his days as King---the name, **Jack Atlas** was only a faint_ memory_---still lingering yet easily forgotten…

…But despite what others may think or say, I can and will never forget Jack Atlas…

…It did not matter to me whether he was King or not---to me, he would always be a champion and a brave warrior…

…I mean, how could I forget the face of a champion after he had risked his life to save me from the sinister clutches of darkness even when we were both on opposing sides and I myself had become the barrier preventing my Prince from saving me? It was back in the time when I was a **Dark Signer**---the arch nemesis of the Signers.

Even though I cannot recall most of what had happened when I was a Dark Signer, I could never shake the feeling of having my body being possessed by a darkness manipulating me and forcing me to harm my precious Prince.

It was as if I was drowning in a sea of bellowing darkness that was slowly taking over my body like an infectious parasite…

….and with each moment that passed, I felt pieces of myself slipping slowly away…sinking deeper and deeper into nothingness…

…

…

…Until then…I heard a voice…calling my name…

…It was _his_ voice…he was reaching out to me…using all of his power to stay close to me…even through the darkness…

…And with all the strength and willpower that remained in my body…I reached out to him…taking hold of his hand and embracing him, wrapping myself in his warmth and allowing him to return me…return **us**…to reality…

…

…

…If it wasn't for Jack, I would not be here...and I greatly appreciate him for that…

…He was my _**hero**_…my _knight_…

…

…So it doesn't matter to me whether or not Jack is King. He doesn't have to be a King of Games to earn my attention. He doesn't have to be the King of Games to earn my love….

…He will **always **be a _king _to me…

….The _King of my world_….for in that world, he was the one chosen to wield the key to opening my heart…

…_My_ chosen **lover**…

…So if life _is_ like a _never-ending fairytale_…and that _all women_ are **princesses** then that means that I, myself, am the princess of my own world and my destiny…

…So then like any fairy tale princess, I am destined to live an ending happily ever after with my chosen Prince Charming…

…And I chose **Jack Atlas** to be my beloved Prince

…When _our_ happily ever after will come? I don't know…

…However we will have it…someday…and however long that takes, it doesn't matter to me as long as I get to spend it with him…

…So until that day comes, I will wait for you…

…My beloved Jack…

…My precious King…

…_Kimi Wa Ashiteru_. I love you.

_Carly  


* * *

_**Mistress:** Well isn't this strange. What started out as one chapter has suddenly multiplied into three! What I mean is, I was actually supposed to write only one story involving the Retributionshipping pairing (Carly X Jack) but surprisingly, now I have three chapters.  
To **CynRoxurSox**, who asked for a _Jack/Carly_ chapter, here is one and prepare to have **two** more! For I'm serving up a three-course helping of Retributionshipping! The next two chapter updates will be mainly about Retributionshipping---don't worry Faithshippers, you will get another spoonful of Aki/Yusei eventually, I promise.  


* * *

**Next scheduled update**: _Thursday June 25th 2009 (I plan to update every Thursday---depending on my internet connection)  
**Next chapter:** I'll Be Your Sunset (Jack/Carly)  


* * *

__Please_ **review**! I'll give you a **cookie** and a free **Crow **plush toy if you do. **_Critiques_** are welcomed too.

_

* * *

_


	3. I'll Be Your Sunset

**Chapter Three:**

"_I'll be Your Sunset"_

…Carly heaved a sigh of sincere frustration…

…She knew that this day would eventually come…what aggravated her the most was why that day had to come so _**soon**_…especially now of all times when she had alas been freed from the darkness that one plagued her lonely heart…

…It had not been too long since the rise and fall the Dark Signers and the relinquishment of the King of the Underworld through the combined strength of the Signers and the Crimson Dragon...

…

….It was a defeat which ended in both _**joy**_ and _**tragedy**_…

…

…Because of the destruction of the final Earthbound Immortal---The _Condor _known as **Wiraqocha Rasca** though the strength of Savior Stardust Dragon**, **the victory sadly resulted in the _passing_ of the late _Rex Goodwin_. However the positive outcome of the defeat being that Rex was at last able to be reunited with his beloved older brother Rudgar whose connection he had been trying to reach from the beginning since his first reckless attempt from his legendary flight off of the Daedalus Bridge. Now the two brothers had been ridden of their loneliness and were allowed to move on to live the rest of their days in paradise…

…

…As for the remaining four Dark Signers…their souls were spared from the afterlife and they were able to be revived…

…It was like awakening from a boundless deep slumber, or so was how it felt to Carly…and despite not having any memories from when she was a Dark Signer, if there was one thing that Carly was thankful for it was the fact that the first person she saw when she had regained consciousness were the eyes of her beloved King…_**Jack Atlas…**_

…It was one of the happiest moments in Carly's life…seeing _Jack_ once more…

…

…But… as much as she would have loved more than anything as to spend the rest of her days seeing Jack every waking day for the remainder of her life on Earth, unfortunately for her, Carly would _not_ get her wish…

…

…For now that the Dark Signers were defeated and revived…now that Goodwin had been prevented from destroying the world with the power of the King of the Underworld…now that both New Domino City and the Satellite had been restored alongwith their inhabitants….now that the battle was finally over, it was time to move on towards the future…

…

…Now that he had fulfilled his rightful responsibilities as one of the five Signers, there was only thing left was Jack Atlas to do…unite the Satellite and New Domino City and restore things back to the way they were prior to the unexpected accident caused by the Old Momentum…

…But the only way to unite the two cities was through the reconstruction of the old Daedalus Bridge previously started by Rex Goodwin himself…Yusei and Crow had both made their final decisions to return to the Satellite to commence the preparations for the reconstruction and completion of the Daedalus Bridge…and as their friend, Jack decided to return as well…

…Although Carly understood Jack's motives for going back to the Satellite---considering that the place was originally his home....I mean it was _understandable_ to her…however that did **not** mean that she _liked_ the idea of Jack of leaving…

…

…In fact…she _**hated**_ it…

…Carly did **not** want him to go…

…She did **not** want to _see _him leave her…not again…

…But despite her internal pains…

…Carly fought back her disregards as she turned to face the man standing right beside her…

…

…He was _Jack Atlas_…

…The two were standing on top the balcony of her small apartment overlooking the city, observing the sun setting over the horizon.

The golden haired previous King of Duels was staring out into distance, royal purple eyes overlooking the stunning sunset which its enchanting combination of bright orange and infernal red shades complemented by the glistening glow of the evening sun.

"Say Jack, do you mind telling me something? What…exactly happened to me…y'know after I became a Dark Signer?" Carly inquired curiously, turning her head to peer across at the absentminded Jack timidly.

"What do you think happened? You turned evil of course," Jack answered casually, "you became my main adversary. You sacrificed many innocent souls from both the Satellite and New Domino City and you almost killed me in a Riding Duel with your Earthbound God. Other than _that_, no _real _harm was done although a few words were said before and after our battle…a few _surprising_ words,"

"Carly, are you sure you don't remember what happened during your time as a Dark Signer?" Jack inquired reverting his attention away from the sunset and looking at raven-haired young woman next to him.

"I told you before Jack, I don't remember anything after becoming a Dark Signer. I can't even remember _how_ I became a Dark Signer. I remember going to the Arcadia Movement's main headquarters and I even remember dueling against Divine and sadly _**losing**_," Carly replied modestly, "but everything after that, it's all a blur. Sorry,"

"So…you remember nothing at all?" Jack inquired.

"Nope. Nothing," Carly answered.

"You don't even remember when you said---_you-know-what_ or when I said y'know that _thing_," Jack said. He recalled in his mind that one _**special **_moment after he had defeated Dark Carly…the moment as he embraced her slowly deteriorating body in his opened arms and held her tightly as she confessed her feelings to him. Jack was mentally hoping that she would have at least remembered _**that**_ but unfortunately for him, she didn't.

Carly shook her head, looking at Jack with an expression of confusion hinted across her face. "When you and I said---what? What _exactly_ did I tell you when I was a Dark Signer?" Carly inquired nervously.

"N—Nothing Carly. Just forget that I mentioned it," Jack said. There was a tad hint of disappointment in his tone of voice and although she acknowledged his displeasure in her loss of memories, Carly obeyed Jack and chose to not question him further on that particular topic.

"So…uhm…I heard from Mikage that you're heading back to the Satellite," Carly said deciding to change the subject, "Is that true?"

Jack dipped his head in a nod. "Yeah," he answered, "I'm going back with Crow and Yusei. We leave at nightfall today,"

"I see," Carly said sadly. "But---"Carly perked up a bit "Why leave back for the old Satellite when you could stay right here in New Domino City," Carly suggested hopefully. '…_with me_,' she added mentally.

"That's _nice_ Carly but my life here in New Domino City is over," Jack said solemnly, "Do you remember what I told you that day when were at the Metro Rail?"

"You mean our first _date_?" Carly said, holding her flushed cheeks and gushing as the memories of the first time she and Jack spent time alone together came into her mind.

"First date?" Jack repeated, cocking a brow at Carly.

"Uhm…never mind, just forget I even said that," Carly said laughing as she scratched the back of her head awkwardly, "but…yes I remember that day. It was at sunset and…you were looking across the ocean trying to see the Satellite,"

"And do you remember what you told me?" Jack asked, "I haven't forgotten the words of wisdom that you gave to me that day. At that time I thought that I had lost everything when I lost that duel against Yusei---the duel that cost me my championship title as the King of Duels as well as the love and respect of my so-called adoring fans,"

"Without being a champion, I thought that there was nothing else for me to do with my life other wallow in self regret at my shocking loss, but you Carly---you taught me something that day." Jack said turning to face Carly, looking at her seriously, "you taught me that life is a never-ending journey and like any journey there would always be harsh obstacles that may prove difficult and cause problems for me along the way and that just because I've lost one battle doesn't mean that I've lost them all. You taught me that there was still a chance than I could _**succeed**_ in my life and if I keep pushing hard, I will overcome anything and fulfill the future that I was destined to walk on,"

"Wow! You got all that from what I said," Carly said incredulously.

"Not really. I actually realized most of it from making my own foolish mistake but most of it was from you," Jack said honestly, "You also helped me to realize the errors of my ways. I've made a lot of selfish decisions in the past. I gave up everything I loved just for this once in a lifetime opportunity and I was wrong for doing that. Now the only way for me to repay for my actions is to start over from scratch. You told me that there was a second chance for everyone and mine starts now. By tomorrow I'm going back to the Satellite and I'm going to begin my life fresh and this time I'm going to do it _with_ the help of my friends and the people who care about me. I'm not going to betray my friends ever again."

Carly smiled and she looked at Jack with deep blue eyes filled with love. "Good for you Jack. I'm proud of you," Carly said, "so what are you going to do once you get back to the Satellite?"

"Well the first thing I'm going to do is to take care of the old Daedalus Bridge," Jack said, "Yusei said that he was going to connect the Satellite to New Domino City and make them one city again---and as his friend, I'm going to do everything in my power to help him fulfill his wishes. It's about time these two cities are reunited,"

"How long will it take for the bridge to be completed?" Carly asked.

"Well when he was alive, Goodwin did a good job constructing the bridge with the People of the Satellite in the past. You could said that it's almost completed but in its current state, it's still not good enough to be called sanitary for traveling," Jack stated, "there is still a lot of work to be done before this bridge could finally be completed so who knows how long it will take. Probably three months…a year maybe. I don't really know,"

"Although Yusei said that the bridge should be finished in less than half a year or so," Jack concluded.

"A half a year, huh," Carly repeated to herself. '…_Only six months_,' she pondered, '…_we'll only be __**apart**__…for six __whole__ months_'

"So…during the time when the bridge is being repaired…you'll be back in the Satellite?" Carly asked.

"That's right," Jack responded, "I have to inorder to help Crow and Yusei get a jump start on the preparations and coordinate things,"

"And y'know how _hopeless_ those two are without me," Jack added as joke, smirking despite himself.

Carly cracked a half smile. "So…_after_ the Daedalus Bridge is completed and the Satellite and New Domino City are connected once more…you'll come back right?" Carly inquired, glancing at Jack with an air of hope.

Jack snorted. "Who says I'm coming back," he scoffed, "I told you before Carly, my days living in this place are over. The Satellite is originally my home; it's the one place in this world where I actually had friends and where I've actually felt that I truly belonged so it'll make sense for me to stay there. Besides what reason do I have for coming back to this place?"

"What are you talking about Jack? There are lots of reasons for you to come," Carly brought up.

"Oh yeah, like what?" Jack asked looking at Carly with his arms folded crossly.

"Like…uhm…what about all the friends that you made here in New Domino City?" Carly said, "Y'know the ones who would _miss_ you when you're gone. Obviously you'll come back for them, right?"

'…_Right_?' Carly internally hoped.

"Oh please Carly, what _friends_ have I made in this place?" Jack scoffed, "Just _who_ do I have to come back to here?"

"Well…lots of people!" Carly proclaimed holding up her hand and calling out the names of the various people while counting them out on her fingers, "Let's see… you have your fellow Signers who live here in the city, y'know Aki and Ruka…and I know he isn't a Signer but you gotta come back to Rua---I mean he says that you're like his idol and he _was_ one of your number one fans,"

"Humph! Those three would be happier to see _Yusei_ than me," Jack pointed out, "_especially_ Aki,"

"_True_ but…they'll want you to come back too," Carly said.

"Nice try Carly," Jack said, "but there is no one here who'd honestly want me to come back,"

"Yes there is!" Carly protested, "There are…Jin Himura and Yanagi!"

"Are you kidding me? Himura _**hates**_ me. Are you forgetting that I'm the one who cost him his championship title and dethroned him as King? What kind of guy would want the very person who took away his life and ended up being the _main reason_ why he spent nearly half of his lifetime locked away in the Facility to come back especially to see him? I highly doubt that I'm the last person that Himura would want to see Carly," Jack said, "and as for Yanagi…although I have nothing against the old man, let's just face it---the old fart annoys me and I **hate** to be _annoyed_, understand?"

"Yeah," Carly said looking sad, "well…what about Ushio?"

"Now you're just sounding _desperate_. You _honestly_ expect me to believe that that _moron_ would want me to come back. Be _**serious**_ Carly," Jack said.

"Okay! Okay! You made your point," Carly said, "Well…what about Mikage? I know she would _definitely_ want you back?"

"True, she might," Jack said, "but like my time here, my relationship with Mikage is also **over**. She was only my advisor when I was King and lived here in New Domino City. Now that I'm going back, I really have no use for her anymore so I really don't have to see her again,"

"That's _harsh_ Jack! Mikage **cared **about you…_more_ than you give her credit for," Carly argued, "Aren't her feelings enough to make you come back?"

"Sadly **no**, I'm sorry Carly but you're wasting your time trying to convince me to come back," Jack said somberly, "let's just face it, there isn't anyone here in this city who sincerely wants me back,"

"Well that's a load of **crap**! How can you say that there isn't anyone in this city who cares about you enough to want you back when that person is standing right _**infront **_of you?!" Carly bellowed angrily, "If you won't come back for the people who you _think_ don't _**like**_ you and the people who _care_ about you then…will you _at least_ come back for…_me_?"

"Who?!" Jack grumbled.

"_Me_, you big dope! **Me**!" Carly screamed. She then gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth realizing what she had just said. Jack, on the other hand, glimpsed at Carly in total shock.

"What did you just say?" Jack demanded.

"I said…_me_ Jack," Carly repeated softly, looking away in embarrassment to avoid further eye contact with the blonde-haired man staring her down, almost taken aback by her words, "I want you to come for _**me**_!"

"And why do _you_ want _me_ to come back?" Jack asked. He had moved himself closer to Carly and now stood staring closely at her face. Though she still refused to look him straight in the face, Carly answered. "Well first off I want you to come back so that you could repay me for all the _**services**_ that I provided you with during your stay at my apartment," Carly stated flatly, "like all the _meals_ that I bought for you with _**my **_money. I also want you to buy me back the _same_ expensive tea that I had been saving for a special occasion and finally, I want you to explain to my dry cleaner exactly why I had been bringing in _men's clothes_ to wash…"

"…But…more _importantly_…" Carly lowered her gaze, turning her interest to the floor where she stared distractedly at the lacing of her orange sneakers, allowing the trimly-cut black bangs of her hair to fall over her face; concealing her eyes. "…more _truthfully_, the _**real **_reason why I want you to come back to me is because I…I---Jack, _I love you_,"

Trying her best to conceal the deep blush forming on surface of her cheeks, Carly glimpsed Jack's face from behind her bangs to see his reaction to her sudden confession.

She had expected him to be a tad shocked but instead, Jack's facial expression remained blank.

Instead the man closed his eyes and sighed. "I know," was what he said.

"You know?" Carly repeated. Now she was the one who was surprised. "H—How did you know?" she stammered timidly.

"You told me how you felt already. It was back when you were a Dark Signer and the two of us were dueling against each other," Jack explained, "after I had defeated you and before your body disappeared, I held you in my arms as you told me the truth. You told me that you loved me back then,"

"Holy crap I _**did**_?! Aww man why can't I remember that!" Carly shrieked, tugging at her head hysterically, "I feel so embarrassed now. You knew how I felt before I could even confess it…_again_. You must think that I'm annoying now,"

"Why would I be annoyed with you? I could _never_ be annoyed with _you_ Carly," Jack uttered softly, "infact…"

Carly's eyes widened as Jack suddenly breached the small space between the two of them, his strong, masculine arms reaching out to pull her into a tight embrace. "…let me hear you say it again. Tell me how you truly feel about me. Say it from your heart," Jack whispered pleasantly.

Carly beamed blushingly. "I _love you_," the girl repeated contentedly, wrapping her arms around Jack's neck and pulling him in closer to; breathing in the delicious scent of his body.

"Again," Jack breathed in Carly's ear, his hot breath tickling the surface of her skin, sending sharp shivers down her spine.

"_I love you_," Carly repeated obediently.

"Again," Jack said again.

"I love you Jack, I love you so much," Carly said one last time, this time practically screaming it from the top of her voice.

Jack smiled in satisfaction. "Thank you," he whispered, "y'see this is why I wanted to keep you safe Carly. Your existence is too important to me; which was why I didn't want you to meddle in the affairs of the Signers and the Dark Signers. But I should have known that not telling you the truth firsthand would have placed you in more danger than I thought. I should have been honest with you from the beginning. I'm so sorry Carly. Forgive me,"

'…_He blames himself for what happened to me…for me becoming a Dark Signer,_' Carly thought guiltily, '…_no Jack, please don't take the blame for something that's clearly my fault. If only I __**had **__listened to you…but I was too __**stubborn**__…and becoming a Dark Signer was the price I had to pay for letting my lustful obsession with you cloud my better judgment. I was foolish. I guess that ancient saying is true. People really do, do crazy things…when they're in love…_'

With those thoughts in mind, Carly tightened her hold around Jack, burying her face in the warmth of her chest.

"I'm glad I met you Carly," Jack continued, "thanks to you, I finally know how it feels to be loved,"

"Jack," Carly gushed, blissful tears staining her eyes.

"Carly…" Jack pulled Carly closer to him, "I…" Jack started however he was interrupted by a sudden sound which erupted from out of the blue.

'…_**I can feel you breathing…**_

…_**I can see you coming…**_

…_**I can feel the wind that's blowing me around**_…' ---it was the ring tone of the small silver cellular phone pocketed in a small compartment of Jack's jacket. Removing the tiny electronic device, Jack mouthed "One minute," to Carly as he answered the phone and held it up to his ear, talking to whoever was on the other line.

When he was finished, Jack closed the phone with a grunt placing it back into his pocket before facing back to Carly with a _miserable_ expression now plastered across his young face.

"Who was that?" Carly asked curiously.

"That was _Yusei_. Apparently there's been a change in plans," Jack answered, "instead of departing at nightfall like we had planned earlier; we're leaving at sundown,"

"You mean right _**now**_?" Carly said in disbelief. Jack nodded.

"Oh…I see." Carly said unhappily.

"I'm really sorry Carly," Jack said apologetically, frowning at the sad look on the girl's face.

Carly immediately shook her head, cracking a halfhearted smile. "No, it's okay. I'm fine, really," Carly said though she was lying despite herself. There was then a brief silence between her and Jack during which Jack looked at Carly silently while she twiddled with her fingers nervously, trying to find the right words to say at that moment.

"So…I'm guessing that this is…goodbye," Carly said, finally breaking the silence to look up at Jack, no longer concealing how unhappy she was to see him leave her.

"I guess it is," Jack said.

He then did something that he had never done before. He touched his hand to Carly's head letting it leisurely trail along the length of her face; soothingly stroking against her slightly reddened cheeks till it fell past her neck, brushing her hair gently as he balanced a few strands of her perfectly jet black tresses delicately between his fingers. He did it as if he was _**savoring**_ the feeling of her skin against his before he left, and Carly didn't mind it one bit. Infact, she had her eyes closed while he did it…she herself revising the movement of his fingers against her skin, tattooing in her mind the arousing sensation his soft touch brought to her body.

"Goodbye…Carly," Jack murmured finally, slowly releasing her hair and watching as they gradually fell back into place behind her neck. Carly slowly reopened and she looked up at him with her lower lip quivering. She did not want this feeling to stop…she wanted him to continue touching…to continue feeling her.

But sadly, the King had to make his leave. Carly watched with saddened eyes as Jack turned his back to her, and left the balcony making his way across the living-room towards the front door.

Instinctively, Carly followed after him.

"Wait Jack; before you go I…want to give you this," Carly said. She reached into the pocket of her jeans pants, fishing out her own personal deck of dueling cards. Jack stopped in his tracks, glancing back at Carly confusedly as she took one of the cards in her deck, holding it out to him.

Jack accepted the card, holding it up to his face so that he could get a better look at it. One the front of the card, there was a representation of a chibi-sized angel clothed in what appeared to be a white wedding dress with a transparently white veil concealing its face. Instead of a traditional bouquet of flowers, the angel was brandishing a shinning star cupped in the palm of its hands and on its back its flamboyant golden wings were outstretched against the rays of the setting sun printed in the background.

"You're giving me on of your cards?" Jack said peering across at Carly.

"Yep. It's the magic card called **Twilight's Kiss**," Carly said, "in the game of duel monsters, this card's effect enables its wielder to revive one Fortune Telling Witch from their graveyard and reunite it with another Fortune Telling Witch currently on their battlefield so that then the two monsters could attack an opponent's monster simultaneously. Even though either Fortune Telling Witches have both an attack and defense power of 0, this card enables both monsters to automatically destroy one of an opponent's monsters and then damage equal to the attack power of the destroyed monster is deducted from their life points,"

"You could almost say that its effect can work in real life too as it can be used to bring two people who have been separated back together," Carly said with a sheepish look at Jack, "with this card in your hands, I'll know for sure that you'll return to me. I just know it. It's one of my favourite cards so be sure to take good care of it, okay?"

Jack didn't answer. He was staring at the card with a funny look on his face.

"You…don't like the card, don't you?" Carly said, suddenly disappointed, "I'd understand if you don't like it. It's a pretty corny card with an even cornier name,"

"No the card is fine. Infact I like it and I'll cherish it in my deck always," Jack said flashing a grateful smile "I was just thinking about its name. Y'see…Twilight _**Kiss**_ was what I was planning to _give_ to you as a final goodbye,"

"R—Really?" Carly stuttered bashfully.

"Really," Jack said, coming forward till he was standing directly in front of Carly, his face just hovering inches from hers, making Carly flush all the while he was staring her down.

"Apart from being loved, you also showed me how to love someone else in return and the person I chose to love back is you Carly," Jack quoted lovingly, "I love you,"

"I love you too Jack," Carly said as she hugged Jack again, holding him tightly. Jack returned the gesture, embracing Carly's body with the bottom of his chin propped on top of her head while his fingers played with the locks of her hair lying against her back.

"Will you…wait for me?" Jack murmured to Carly.

"Oh jack…"Carly cooed.

'…_If there was thing that she was certain about, it was the fact that she wanted to be with no one else but him and that she would __**willingly**__ wait for him, patiently counting the days until he returned to her outstretched arms…_'

"…Yes, I will," Carly answered with a sigh.

Jack grinned. "That's good," he said.

Jack then let go of Carly, stepping away from her so that he could get a better view of her face.

Smirking, the golden-haired Signer removed Carly's glasses, allowing the beautiful and natural cerulean hue of her eyes to gaze at him affectionately as his own, amethyst coloured eyes eyed her with the same expression.

….Very gently, Jack stroked Carly's cheeks as he placed the tip his index finger underneath her chin tilting her face upward to meet his…and Carly gradually closed her eyes as Jack leaned forward and planted his lips over hers.

…At that precised moment…the rest of world became silent to these two people…

…Time stood still…

…All that could be heard was the sound of their roaring hearts beating stridently for each other from within their bone prisons inside of their chests …

…And…the only solemn thing that the two felt at that moment was the profound sensation of their deep feelings for one another and the delicious tastes of each other's lips…sweetly satisfying…all the while accompanied by the warmth of the setting sun as they kissed each passionately underneath the bathing light of twilight.

…Even though they **knew** that it would be the _last_ kiss they ever shared together...

…Even though they **knew** that it would be _last_ moment that would spend together…

…Even though they **knew** that it was going to be the _last_ time they see each other for a **long **while…

…At the time…neither of them _**cared**_…

…They were with each other…

…They _loved_ each other

…and that's **all** that _**really**_ mattered.

* * *

**Mistress**: Hi, it's me again. Now before you say anything, I know that I'm **four days** late in updating. I was originally supposed to update last week Thursday like I had _planned_ but...I unfortunately didn't and I deeply apologize for that. To all my readers, I hope you all forgive me, please accept this new chapter as a token of my apologies. I hope you guys liked it.  
Like I said at the end of my last chapter, I'm serving up a _three-course helping_ of **Retributionshipping** (Jack/Carly).  
**King of Her World** was the _first_, **I'll Be Your Sunset** was the _second _(I hope it was _yummy_ enough for your tastes) and now for the _third _and _final_ helping. Since I'm feeling **_generous_** this evening, I'm going to give you dudes a brief preview of the next chapter (...okay it's not really a **preview**, it's just a summary of what you should expect for the next chapter. LOL. But i think the title may amuse you)

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**_Next Chapter: _**_A Meal Fit For A King_ (Jack/Carly)_: Carly plans to prepare a home-cooked dinner for her beloved Jack Atlas in hopes of impressing him. However...how is Carly supposed to cook a meal fit for a king if she doesn't even know how to bowl water nor can she even tell a spatula from a spaghetti spoon?  


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_Also I would personally like to **_thank _**the following readers:  
**  
mwaetht  
CynRoxursox  
dbzgtfan2004  
RockyX123  
GeOrGeIzRiPpin  
Thail  
Lucarly  
sableye  
Kelsidina  
gr8azngrl  
Azure Zephryr  
Otto Inuke  
Starlight Dragon1636** (thank you for your inspiring words)

Thank you all very much. At first this story started with nothing but thanks to you guys, in less than 2 chapters (going on 3) this story now stands at a total of 13 reviews, 12 Favourites and 5 Alerts.  
Thank you all very much! Thank you for the reviews and the favourite adds, they were greatly appreciated and since you all took the time to review my story, I pass out free cookies and limited Editon Yusei plushies to all of you. You deserve it.  
I do hope that you all continue to read my story as it continues :)

* * *

Lastly:  
**R.I.P Michael Jackson** (August 29 1958-June 25 2009) _You will be deeply missed and even though your body may be gone, your spirit will forever live on in the hearts of your fans._

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I think I've said what I needed to say. Until next time, bye bye!  
~Mistress

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_Please **review**. **Critiques** are welcomed too._

* * *


	4. A Meal Fit For A King

**Chapter Four**

"_A Meal Fit For A King"_

It was approximately 8:35 P.M on Saturday night…and _Carly Nagisa_ was in total **distress**!

"Oh no! Oh no! What am I going to do? He's gonna be here in the next twenty-five minutes and everything isn't ready yet!" Carly shrieked hysterically, fingers tugging on the black threads of her hair in utter frustration. Slumping tiredly onto the couch in the living room of her small apartment, Carly heaved an exasperated sigh as she overlooked herself in the miniature mirror resting against the small coffee table across from the couch. She herself was a genuine **mess**.

Her usually kept hair was presently tussled; with strands of her tresses sticking out wildly at odd ends as a result of the number of times she passed her fingers through them in dissatisfaction.

Her porcelain skin was now drenched in cold sweat from the number of times she had ran up and down through to small room that was the kitchen of her house which occupied the space opposite from her living-room.

…And her clothes weren't any different. As a matter of fact, her clothes were in a worst shape than her hair and face. Carly mentally cringed as she pressed her fingers to the surface of the white T-shirt she was sporting which were dirtied in stains of different shades and varieties including on giant brown blotch which was splattered across the visible front of the shirt like paint against a canvas.

It even soiled the apron that Carly wore around her waist over her T-shirt. The apron was bubble gum pink in colour with the words 'Kiss the Cook' printed in bolded red lettering across the front alongwith a pair of six hearts of white and light pink tints which were embroidered around the words forming a border.

In one hand, Carly clutched a giant silver pot spoon which was smoldered in an odd purplish-blue substance that resembled prunes whereas in the other hand, she held an opened bag of _**Duel Monster Crackers**_.

Nibbling absentmindedly on a cracker shaped like a _Dark Magician Girl_, Carly finally released the pot spoon and propped it on the coffee before bringing her tired hands up to her exhausted face. As she slowly wiped away the beads of sweat trailing at the side of her face, Carly pondered silently on how she was going to resolve her current predicament. For in the next few minutes, a _**very**_ _important _guest would soon be arriving at her humble abode and unfortunately, _she_ was **not** the slightest bit prepared to _entertain_ him as yet.

"Oh this is going to be a disaster! Why? Why did I have to make such a bogus promise?!" Carly complained. She popped another cracker in her mouth as she thought back to the dilemma she had created for herself three days ago.

…_Thee days before…_

It was a pleasant Tuesday afternoon in New Domino City as Carly stood outside the front door of the apartment suite belonging to her beloved Jack Atlas, waiting patiently for when he would answer the door to greet her.

'…I can't wait to see the look on Jack's face when he sees what I've got for him. I just know he'll love it!' Carly thought delightfully, bouncing on the balls of her feet while giggling enthusiastically at the present she had brought for Jack which was carefully secured inside of an orange and blue-striped store-bag she held in her hands.

Eventually Carly was answered by the sound of the doorknob turning from the other side just as the door was pulled open and the reporter-in-training looked up with a wide grin plastered on her face, _thinking_ that the person was Jack.

"Good afternoon Jack!" Carly greeted excitedly, "listen I hope you're hungry because I've got some…"

"Good afternoon to you too Miss Nagisa," replied a voice by the door but it didn't belong to Jack. Carly immediately staggered back in surprise as she realized that the person was actually Mikage. The slightly older woman stood at the foot of door, dressed professionally in her usual attire, with her arms folded looking at Carly sternly.

"M---Mikage? What are you doing here?" Carly questioned staring at the woman incredulously.

"I'm here for Atlas-_sama_ of course," Mikage responded casually, "I am his advisor after all and seeing to his needs is my main priority," "Now what are you doing you here Miss Nagisa?" Mikage added inquiringly, looking to Carly skeptically.

"…Uhm…I'm here to see Jack, of course," Carly replied, mimicking Mikage's casual tone, "I have a present for him," Carly held up the store-bag.

"That's very _cute _of you Miss Nagisa but I'm afraid that Atlas-_sama _is busy at the moment," Mikage said, "if you'd leave the bag here with me I can assure you that it will be delivered to him _eventually_,"

Mikage made a grab for the store-bag however Carly moved it, holding it away from her grasps.

"That's fine Mikage but I wanted to give this to Jack _in person_," Carly said, making an attempt to enter the apartment. However she was blocked by Mikage who had placed both of her hands on either side of the door, preventing Carly from entering. "I'm sorry Miss Nagisa but like I said before, Atlas-_sama _is busy at the moment," Mikage stated rather sternly, "and quite frankly, even if he wasn't busy he still wouldn't have time for the likes of…"

But before Mikage could have finished her sentence, she was suddenly interrupted by a deep voice which boomed from inside of the apartment in coordination with the sound of _running water_.

"MIKAGE! Where's that extra towel that I asked for!" This voice belonged to Jack. The golden-haired duelist had stuck his head out of the bathroom of the apartment where he had presently been taking a shower. "MIKAGE!"

"I'll get it to you in a moment Atlas-_sama_!" Mikage yelled back to Jack. She then turned back to Carly who was gawking at her in disbelief. "Wait a second, Jack isn't busy doing anything. He's taking a bath!" Carly shrieked.

"Honestly Miss Nagisa, you need to leave!" Mikage hissed, flaying her arms to shoo Carly away. Carly on the other hand pouted her lip and shook her head at Mikage.

"I'm not going anywhere now let me see Jack!" Carly said, practically fighting with Mikage trying to force her way through. Unfortunately, Mikage gave her a fair fight trying to push Carly off over the loud yells from Jack.

"MIKAGE! MIKAGE!" Jack yelled. "Oh never mind! I'll get the darn thing myself," Jack grumbled grouchily as he stepped out of the bathroom.

At that moment, Carly and Mikage both ceased their cat-fighting and their heads turned to Jack, both gawking at him. As he came from the bathroom, he was clothed in nothing but a white towel that was draped around his waist; his bare chest left exposed for the observing eyes of Carly and Mikage who eyed every last part of the boy's lower body from his well-built arms to his well-developed torso and flat stomach (with the slight indication of a small six-pack).Though the boy had a slightly broad build to his body that did not prevent Carly and Mikage from staring down his strapping chest, all shiny and glistening from being drenched in water.

"Atlas-_sama_!" Mikage mouthed softly, her cheeks slightly flushed as she ogled the bare-chested Jack as he sauntered past her and into another small room next to the living-room. "Who's at the door Mikage?" Jack called to Mikage shortly as he returned from the small room, drying his soaked blonde hair with another towel. Before Mikage had a chance to answer, the quick-witted Carly had already beaten her to it. "It's me Jack!" Carly answered as she waved to Jack from behind Mikage.

"Carly?" Jack said as he acknowledged the reporter-in-training standing behind his advisor, "What are you doing here?"

"Well I was in the neighbourhood and I thought I'd pop by your place for a little visit," Carly replied, "I even brought you a surprise gift,"

"Oh alright. Let her in Mikage," Jack ordered.

"But…Atlas-_sama_, aren't you _busy_ at the moment?" Mikage stuttered.

"I hardly call taking a shower being busy Mikage," Jack stated matter-of-factly, "beside I'm never too busy to see Carly so let her in,"

Mikage mentally cringed as she turned to meet the jubilant face of Carly who stood grinning at her triumphantly. Reluctantly, Mikage stepped aside allowing Carly to finally enter.

"So Carly, what is this surprise that you've got for me?" Jack asked Carly as he took a seat on the living room couch. "Oh you'll love it Jack. Tada!" Carly declared, taking a seat across from Jack in another chair.

Reaching into the store bag, she fished out a rectangular-shaped orange box containing jelly doughnuts, the size of dinner plates, smothered in pure chocolate icing with tiny sprinkles of brown sugar.

Jack eyed the box of doughnuts with royal mauve eyes filled with curiosity as he accepted the gift. "It's those chocolate-covered jelly doughnuts that you like," Carly said, "remember last week when we went out and I bought you those doughnuts and you said you liked them so I thought I'd buy you a batch. Y'see my parents own a bakery so I get all my doughnuts and pastries for free,"

"You should try them, they're very delicious," Carly suggested smiling at Jack happily.

"That sounds excellent Carly and thanks for the doughnuts but…to tell you the truth I've already had something to eat," Jack said, "Mikage cooked me lunch today,"

"Really? She…cooked you lunch…all by herself?" Carly said.

"Yeah, it was some sort of pasta dish. What was it called again Mikage?" Jack inquired looking to Mikage who was standing behind his seat.

"Chicken Alfredo," Mikage answered.

"Well whatever it's called, it tasted great. I actually liked it," Jack said.

"You did?" Mikage said, looking at Jack in disbelief.

"Yeah, you're a good cook Mikage," Jack said.

At the small compliment, Mikage blushed deeply. "Thank you Atlas-_sama._" She gushed. Carly, on the other hand, frowned. "Y'know Atlas-_sama_ since you liked my cooking that much, if you want, I wouldn't mind preparing you that meal again…over wine…let's say at my place this Saturday night?" Mikage recommended, looking at Jack hopefully.

"Sure why not? I have nothing better to do this Saturday night anyways," Jack replied with a shrug.

"Seriously? So…I'm guessing that it's a dinner _date_ then?" Mikage said.

"Call it whatever you want," Jack grunted. At that moment, Mikage locked eyes with Carly who was pouting disappointedly at the fact that Jack had accepted to attend a dinner date with the older woman. A triumphant smirk flashed across her face as she eyed the other girl jubilantly, sticking her tongue out at her childishly. Carly frowned at the taunting look on Mikage's face and she immediately turned to Jack.

"W---Wait Mikage, Jack can't come over to your house on Saturday night!" Carly barked.

"And why not?" Mikage spoke up, glaring angrily at Carly.

"Yeah Carly, why not?" Jack questioned innocently.

"Because…because that's the night that he has to come over to my house for the---surprise dinner that I had planned for him," Carly stated.

"What! Since when did you plan a dinner for Jack?" Mikage grunted.

"Since…I came here to tell him about it. That was my surprise after all," Carly said nonchalantly.

"I thought your surprise was the doughnuts," Mikage said, eying Carly distrustfully.

"Oh Mikage, clearly you do not understand the element of surprise," Carly told Mikage, fanning her hand infront of her face understatedly as if explaining something to a little kid, "I merely told Jack that the doughnuts were the surprise to conceal the _real_ surprise which was my dinner party this Saturday night,"

"You liar, you made that up just when I invited him," Mikage griped, "but it wouldn't do you any good because Jack is coming to my dinner date, right Jack?"

"Hmm…what exactly do you plan on cooking for me Carly? Truth be told, I never knew you could cook," Jack said, tilting his head at Carly with an interested look on his face

"Are you sure that she even knows how to cook?" Mikage muttered, "I, on the other hand, have studied away at the best Culinary Arts schools in the world. Where did you learn how to cook Carly judging that you even know how?"

"I _do_ know how to cook," Carly argued, "I may not have studied away at some _fancy-smancy_ school but---my parents _do_ own a bakery which is sort of like a restaurant and I _did_ sometimes used to watch my mom and dad while they were baking together in the kitchen so technically…"

"Technically you still don't know a thing about cooking," Mikage interrupted flatly, "Atlas-_sama_, I advise that you come to my place and let me cook you dinner. That way you would have a decent and healthy feast without standing the chance of suffering from _food poisoning_,"

"Hey! I _can_ cook okay!" Carly shouted at Mikage, "Besides Jack, why go to Mikage's dinner date where you'd just get a _small_ meal when you can come to mine and have a _full course dinner_!"

"A full course dinner?" Jack repeated.

"That's right, not only will you get a meal Jack but you'll get a meal equipped with appetizers and a dessert of your choice," Carly said, smiling proudly.

"Truly? Will there be chocolate cake and vanilla ice-cream?" Jack asked.

"Anything you want Jack," was Carly's laid-back response.

"Hmm…okay. I'll come to your dinner Carly," Jack said.

"Really? Yippy!" Carly cheered victoriously, pumping a fist in the air while jumping in her seat, hardly able to contain her enthusiasm. However Carly ceased her overexcited quirks when Jack looked at her squarely, brow raised. "I mean…that's cool," Carly said calmly though inwardly she was still cheering in her head. Carly glanced at Mikage to see her reaction to Jack's sudden change in plans and, just as Carly had assumed, she was ticked off.

"But Atlas-_sama_, what about _our _dinner date?" Mikage complained.

"Sorry Mikage but I've changed my mind. I've never had a full course dinner made for me before," Jack said, "maybe some other time,"

Mikage stared at Jack, completely _stupefied_ by his answer but ultimately her shock melted in disappointment as she looked away from the blonde duelist, displeasure written clearly across her face.

In spite of the look of rejection hinted on Mikage's face, Carly could not help but still grin despite herself at the fact that Jack Atlas---_the_ **Jack Atlas** (ex) _King of Games_; would be coming to her house for dinner that Saturday. It was like a dream made reality, at least in the love-struck imagination of _Carly Nagisa_ and the raven-haired girl sighed contentedly as the image of her and Jack sitting opposite from each other, laughing cheerfully as they enjoyed each other's company over a candle-lit dinner fit for two plagued her thoughts.

Though Carly immediately wiped the happy look off of her face and peered in the opposite direction for now Mikage stood glaring daggers at her from across the living-room.

"So what time should I arrive at your apartment Carly?" Jack now asked.

"Uhm…how about 9P.M sharp?" Carly proposed.

"Sounds good, I'll be there," Jack answered with a light smile.

"Aww thank you so much Jack," Carly cooed, once again looking away to avoid the angry look Mikage was sending her.

"Yeah whatever. Just remember to have my full course dinner ready by the time I get there," Jack grunted, "because I can guarantee you that I'll be coming with a very hungry stomach,"

Carly giggled. "Don't worry Jack. I won't let you down," she said giving Jack a tiny salute, "you are going to love what I'm gonna cook for you. I promise you it'll be a meal fit for a _**King**_,"

…

'…_A meal fit for a King. Yeah right! This is a _**disaster**_! There isn't even enough to feed a _**hungry mouse**_!_'

Carly thought exasperatedly as she munched hungrily at another cracker; this time shaped in the exact profile of _Blue Eyes White Dragon_, biting off its dragon-sized head before slowly devouring the remains of its body. Wiping crumbs from her cheeks, Carly turned over to lay flat on her stomach as her deep blue eyes watched the _Winged Kuriboh_-shaped clock hanging on the wall in the living-room. The time presently read _8:43 PM_.

'…_Seventeen more minutes to go before _**he**_ gets here_,' were Carly's thoughts, '…_I am so _**nervous**_ and _**nothing**_ is ready!  
…Okay I'll admit, at least I managed to finish cooking the first few courses. I mean…after nearly _**burning**_ my fingers off, I'm thankful that I actually managed to cook something right. _

…_Thank you _**Mr. Cook-Book**!

…_But other than that the rest _**isn't**_ ready. I _**haven't**_ cooked the _**main course**_ yet and _**dessert**_ hasn't arrived yet either.  
…Where is _**Crow**_? I thought he told me he'll make my delivery in less than ten minutes_! _It's been _**twenty**_. Oh sure, when making my delivery, he takes his time but if its to tick off Sector Security and run away, he's gone faster than you could spell C-R-O-W. That is the last time I call _**Blackbird Delivery**_. _

…_Oh who am I kidding? _

…_I don't know why I'm so nervous. I mean it's just _**Jack**_. Why should I be worried about having _**Jack**_ over? I mean he _**has**_ stayed at my apartment before._

…_Just because _**Jack**_ and _**I**_ will be all _**alone**_by ourselves__ in one big room __with a _**couch**_; _**together**_all night__ enjoying food that _**I**made _especially for _**him**_ doesn't give me reasons to be worried._

…_Infact I'm not he least bit worried about tonight. Truth be told, I'm _**terrified**_. What if I make a complete dork of myself infront of Jack? What if Jack doesn't like my food? What if he __does__ get food poisoning because of me? I myself haven't eaten my cooking so I'm not even sure if they're even safe for human consumption. _

…_Oh man! Please don't let me screw this night up! Please!'_

Carly glanced at the time again. _8:49PM_ was the time now. Instantly Carly rose from her bed on the couch as she bolted into the bathroom to clean herself before he arrived.

Minutes later she entered her bedroom where she fully prepared herself for that evening's special occasion. Now Carly stood infront of the tall full-length mirror residing in her bedroom, looking over herself.

For that one night, Carly had taken the necessary precautions needed to make it the most perfect and special night of her entire life which unquestionably included _dolling _herself up for **Jack**.

Not only had she actually _shaved_ her legs (and under arms) for **Jack** (which presently itched from the after effects of applying numerous amounts of cheap shaving cream and stung from the endless minutes of mowing at her legs repeatedly with a pink shaver) but Carly had also done a little shopping during the past three days and had actually bought herself a _new dress_ (She was definitely **NOT** going to impress Jack in the same old light blue dress she had worn to her high school prom) in addition to the _new jewelry_ and _makeup_ that she would be needing to make herself look appealing to **Jack**.

For that one night, Carly had decided to go totally _classy _and had clothed herself in an elegant scarlet red dress. It was strapless; supported by nothing but burgundy lacings which was tied perfectly around Carly's neck forming a tiny deep red bow; and its silky fabric flowed flawlessly down her small frame to her hips, forming a frilled skirt which fell at least three inches above Carly's knees. It was a beautiful dress and its deep ruby hue definitely complimented the matching pair of high heeled shoes that Carly wore on her feet (also bought for **Jack**).

On her hands, Carly had adorned her right wrists with two bracelets of crimson red and sapphire blue beads connected by a single black string. Whereas on her left hand, she wore several bright silver bangles which slinked down her arm, dangling slightly at her fingers.

Other than her clothes, Carly had additionally altered her hairstyle for that night's event. Her usual style of always keeping her hair out had currently been _replaced _for Carly had combed her hair into a neat bun festooned by a glittering red clamp which held her bun in place. The clamp was shaped like a strawberry and draped in beads of the same red and blue colours which dangled at the back of Carly's neck, jingling like a musical chime every time Carly moved her head.

Carly had even took the liberty of purchasing herself a _water bra_; which she stood readjusting in the mirror and prayed, especially for that one night, it would work in her favour and hopefully give Jack the impression that a _certain _part of her body was a lot _larger_ to the human eye.

"Leave it for a person to invent a bra made entirely of water," Carly mused while poking her chest, "anyways what Jack doesn't know won't hurt him,"

Suddenly there was a knock at the front door. "He's here," Carly squeaked. Moving swiftly, Carly applied the last cover of red lipstick to her lips and checked her breath before ambling into the living-room to answer the door.

With every step that she took, Carly could feel the nervousness and anxiety building up in the pit of her chest in anticipation for the young man who stood on the opposite side of her front door. Settling the feverish beating of her racing heart and calming herself down, Carly took a deep breath as she slowly opened the door.

It was the moment that Carly had been anticipating, the moment when _Jack Atlas_ would appear at her apartment. And there he was---there was _Jack_, who stood at Carly's doorstep with his arms crossed. To the average individual, Jack would have appeared normal…

…But to Carly, he seemed almost…_breathtaking_. Even though, unlike Carly, Jack did not choose to change his usual style of attire for that evening (wearing his traditional and infamous white jacket though underneath it he wore a deep blue blouse with a pair of jeans of the same colour), to Carly, he still looked good…_very good_.

Carly touched her hand to her chest where she felt her heart skip a beat and she swallowed nervously as she stared up at Jack

"H—Hello Jack," Carly greeted timidly.

"Hello Carly," Jack greeted in his usual cool tone. He addressed Carly with his eyes, overlooking her beautified form from head to toe before smiling. "If I might say so myself, you look rather beautiful tonight," Jack complimented sincerely.

"T—Thank you," Carly said, cheeks turning pink, "you…look beautiful tonight too," When she had acknowledged exactly what she had said, Carly shook her head vigorously waving her hands at Jack. "N—Not that I'm saying that you look like a woman, I mean you do look simply _fabulous_ in that outfit but…I mean it in a more manly and masculine sort of concept," Carly stuttered, "do—do you understand what I mean?"

Carly looked at Jack warily. '…_Strike one! Way to go Carly, it's barely been five minutes and already you've managed to embarrass yourself infront of Jack_,' she thought, '_I feel like such a dork. He must think that I'm annoyin_g,'

But instead, to Carly's surprise, Jack merely chuckled lightly at her small mistake.

"It's alright Carly, I understand what you mean," Jack said, "may I come in?"

"Oh of course. Step right in _Monsieur_ Atlas," Carly said as she stepped aside, allowing Jack to walk into her living room. Carly was about to close the door behind her when Jack stopped her.

"Uhm…you might want to leave that open, Mikage is coming up," Jack told Carly.

Carly raised a brow at Jack. "Excuse me…_**who**_ is coming up?!" she said.

"Good evening _Carly_,"

Carly twitched at the sound of the person standing behind her, instantly recognizing her voice. She knew that feminine voice anywhere. It belonged to no one else but Mikage. Turning around slowly, Carly faced the _other_ woman standing at her doorstep. Apparently Carly wasn't the only girl who had gotten herself _perfected_ for that one night for at that present time, Mikage stood sporting an outfit almost as _lovely_ and _sophisticated_ as hers.

The main difference was that this dress was shimmering _light blue_, like star dust. It contrasted faultlessly with the shade of Mikage's hair. Though the dress was longer than Carly's, ending at Mikage's heels, dissimilar to Carly's, this dress had a _slit_ which trailed up to her hips exposing the woman's smooth legs.

Compared to Mikage's, her dress made Carly's look like it should be worn by a ten-year-old girl at her birthday party with clowns and a piñata. Other than that, Mikage possessed fancier jewelry than Carly and stood brandishing a pair of star-shaped diamond earrings which shimmered like her dress from her ears and a diamond necklace from her neck which all coordinated with the pair of transparent glass slippers she wore on her feet.

Carly grimaced lightly at the sight of the other woman.

"MIKAGE!" Mikage mouthed in surprise, "What the he---I mean, what brings you here tonight to my home…at this _particular_ time?"

"Didn't Jack tell you? I'm here to _accompany_ him," Mikage answered coolly, "after all he did ask me to come here with him tonight,"

"No I didn't. You're the one who insisted that you tagged along, I had nothing to do with it," Jack spoke up from his throne upon Carly's living-room sofa, "besides I thought you told me that Carly had called you during the week and _invited_ you to the dinner herself,"

"You did…what?!" Carly gawked at Mikage.

"You _invited_ me to your dinner, remember Carly?" Mikage spoke in the same calm tone, "Don't tell me that you _forgot_ that you _invited _me yourself and made me get all dolled up to come all the way from my home for nothing. Speaking of which, I hope I'm not too _overdressed_ for your dinner, am I?"

With that said, Mikage turned around slowly allowing Carly the luxury of seeing how nice she looked in her dress from all angles to which the girl snorted.

"No…you look just…_dazzling_," Carly said through gritted teeth. She then leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice so that Jack wouldn't hear her as she whispered to Mikage furiously. "You _cheater_. I didn't invite you here and you know it. You're just here to spoil my alone time with Jack, aren't you?" Carly hissed.

"Why Carly how can you say such a horrible thing about me?" Mikage implied innocently, "Especially when I brought you a little something to spice up your dinner,"

Carly looked down as Mikage thrust something in her face. It was a translucent lime green container holding something which appeared to be…

"Cupcakes? You _bought_ me cupcakes?" Carly said taking the container and looking from it to Mikage with an expression of skepticism plastered across her face.

"No those cupcakes aren't store-bought. They're _homemade_," Mikage corrected, "I baked them myself. I figured I'd have some back-up food for Atlas-_sama_ just in case whatever garbage---I mean _food_ that you cooked for him aren't up to his standards. Y'know…something to take away the _foul taste_,"

Carly glowered at Mikage who watched her with the same look of shear innocence. Never had the reporter-in-training been so insulted in her life (not even when her boss yelled at her).

Just as Carly was about to say something back to put Mikage in her place, she was interrupted by another figure that suddenly appeared behind the other woman.

"Good evening Carly," This time the person was _Tetsu Ushio_. He too was dressed formally and stood wearing a casual grey blouse with a pair of sea green pants and black shoes.

"Ushio!" Carly said in shock, "You're here too?"

"Certainly. _Mikage-san_ invited me to come with her tonight and as her partner, I had to accompany her," Ushio answered smiling at the other woman, "I hope you don't mind Carly. _Mikage-san_ told me that you had only invited her and Jack here tonight and I hope my presence here isn't a problem,"

"Of course not Ushio, y'know I always enjoy your company," Carly said grinning politely at the other man. Her attention then snapped back to Mikage. "Tetsu Ushio? Tetsu Ushio of the Public Security Maintenance Bureau! What are you planning to do? Have me arrested and sent to the Facility if I didn't cook Jack a decent meal?" Carly said quietly.

"Not really. I actually brought him because he was free tonight," Mikage answered, "but thank you for the wonderful idea, Carly,"

"Besides with Ushio here you won't feel left out while **I** talk with **Jack** _all night_," Mikage added mischievously.

"What! You wouldn't dare!" Carly piped. Mikage merely smirked at Carly as she ambled past her to take a casual seat beside Jack on the sofa. "By the way Carly, these are for you. I handpicked them myself," Ushio said. In his hand, he gripped a fresh bouquet of dandelions which he held out to Carly.

"Wow dandelions. Thank you very much Ushio, they're lovely," Carly said, smiling gratefully at Ushio as she accepted the bouquet.

"You're welcome Carly," Ushio said. "I also got this for you _Mikage-san_," he added, turning to grin charmingly at Mikage with a single red rose held at his fingertips, "a rose by any other name is just as sweet so I brought one for my beautiful rose,"

"Huh? Did you say something Ushio?" Mikage said looking up from her seat beside Jack. She was sitting very close to him. At the sight of his beloved love interest next to the younger blonde man, Ushio saddened and he sighed. "Uhm…no I didn't," the man groaned, quickly hiding the rose behind his back as he sauntered into the living-room and took a seat on the chair opposite Mikage and Jack. Carly looked at the man sympathetically.

'…_Poor guy. I almost feel sorry for him…but at least he has great taste in flowers_,'

"So Carly, what's on the menu for tonight? I'm hungry for whatever you've got cooking," Jack said.

"Yes Carly, what exactly do you have in store for us saying that you actually managed to cook something _edible_," Mikage implied.

"For your information Mikage I did cook something edible. Infact I cooked _seven things_ that are definitely edible," Carly stated confidently, "for the first course, I'm going to start things off with a _fruit salad_ then from there, we'll move on to the _appetizers_ which, for tonight, will be a scrumptious plate of _Swedish Meatballs_ with some barbeque sauce dip,"

"…the third course will be soup. I hope you guys like _Gazpacho_," Carly said perkily, "the fourth course will be a nice _Caesar Salad_. For dessert, we'll be having Jack's favourite---chocolate cake with vanilla ice-cream and then lastly, we'll end the night with a tray of raisin buns with a bottle of the red wine straight from fridge. How does that sound?"

"That sounds delicious," Jack said keenly, "I can't wait till we eat,"

"I'll admit that does sound like it'll be good to taste but…what about the main course Carly?" Mikage asked, "You forgot to make mention of that,"

"Well for the main course I had planned something really special for Jack," Carly said enthusiastically, "I would tell you what it is because I wanted it to be another _surprise_,"

"You mean like how you surprised us with this dinner. You're just full of surprises, aren't you Carly?" Mikage said sarcastically, "It's such a shame; I would have liked to hear what you had planned for the fifth course considering that it is the most important meal in a full course dinner. Why do you think it's called the main course? It is the highlight of the entire dinner, without a properly cooked main course the rest of the meal would seem _dull_ and _boring_."

"I know that Mikage but it's not like I didn't prepare the main course meal. There will be a main course," Carly said, "…It's just not finished being cooked yet,"

"Is that so? How _sad_," Mikage said indifferently, "if _you_ had been _invited _to _my_ dinner with Jack, everything would have already been prepared upon your arrival. I mean that _is_ what a _good cook_ and _hostess_ is _supposed_ to do for her dinner guests. I learnt that when I was away at my Culinary Arts school in Paris,"

"You studied in Paris? Very impressive Mikage-san," Ushio commented.

"Thank you," Mikage replied shrewdly.

"Can we eat now?" Jack grunted impatiently.

"Yes we can. Even though I still need to finish my surprise main course, everything else is finished and ready to be eaten," Carly chimed, "speaking of which, I'll go get the fruit salad,"

With that, Carly left the room and went straight into the kitchen.

'…_Darn that Mikage! Bragging about studying in Paris and making me look bad. Is she trying to embarrass me?_' Carly mused, '_Is she trying to make me look bad infront of Jack? Well if that's the way the she is going to play then I'll show her who the better woman for Jack is. Let the games begin_,'

Moments later, Carly returned from the kitchen carrying a tangerine orange tray topped with five multicoloured glasses. Each glass contained a small salad comprising of an assortment of different fruits ranging from apples and strawberries to bananas and watermelons with a few chunks of Kiwi fruit and Paw-Paw at the side. The fruits were diced delicately into tiny cuboids of fruity flavour and were left to soak in a pool of syrup inside of the glass. Resting the tray on the coffee table in her living-room, Carly distributed a fruit salad to each of her three guests, making sure to give them a fork or spoon to eat it with before taking a seat beside Ushio to enjoy her own salad.

Within minutes, silence filled the room and the only sounds that could be heard were echoes of metal forks and spoons alongwith the distinctive chewing of fruit.

"Is everyone enjoying their salad?" Carly asked, popping an apple inside of mouth. Beside her, Ushio flashed Carly a thumbs up. His mouth was stuffed with fruit. Mikage did not bother to answer because she had barely touched her salad which remained untouched on the table infront of her. As for Jack, the (ex) King swallowed the fruit he was eating quietly. "I think it's…" Jack started but he barely finished his sentence when he accidentally dropped a piece of watermelon and spilled syrup on his blouse. "Shoot!"

Immediately Carly got up. "Jack…" she began but Mikage was a lot faster than she was.

"Atlas-_sama_, are you alright?" Mikage said facing Jack worriedly.

"Relax, it's not like I'm _bleeding_ or anything, I just spilled on myself," Jack said.

"Atlas-_sama_ here let me help you clean up. Carly, _fetch_ me a napkin!" Mikage barked, snapping her fingers at Carly commandingly. Carly looked at Mikage taken aback.

'…_Did she just tell me to __**fetch**__? What am I? A __**golden retriever**__?_' Carly thought crossly. But nonetheless, she brought the napkins to Mikage who snatched them out of her hands and started dabbing at the blotched stains dampening the front of Jack's blouse. "It's alright Mikage. I'm fine," Jack said but Mikage shook her head.

"No you're not, now you're all dirty and your best suit is stained," Mikage said, "this wouldn't have happened if Carly had provided us with napkins to hold so we won't end up staining our clothes. That is what a proper hostess is supposed to do but I guess you didn't know that, didn't you Carly? Having never been trained by one of the best chefs in the world,"

"Look I'm sorry if I didn't give you all napkins to eat with your fruit salad. No need to bite my head off Mikage," Carly said.

"Yes Mikage, leave Carly alone besides I'm the one who deserves to be blamed since I spilled on myself, not Carly," Jack said.

"Whatever, I still think she should have given us napkins. If you had come to _**my**__ dinner_, I would have done that for you," Mikage said arrogantly.

Carly frowned. Jack merely rolled his eyes at Mikage as he grabbed his glass, returning to eating his fruit salad.

"Here why don't I _feed _you? That way you wouldn't spill on yourself again," Mikage offered as she took hold of Jack's salad fork, poking up a piece of Kiwi Fruit which she held up to Jack's mouth.

"I'm not a baby Mikage. I'm capable of feeding myself y'know," Jack protested though he still took the piece of fruit into his mouth, "besides aren't you going to eat yours?" Jack gestured to Mikage's abandoned salad.

"Nope. The fruit salad isn't much for _my_ taste," Mikage answered.

"Oh! Can I have your salad then _Mikage-san_?" Ushio requested eagerly.

"Yeah sure fine," Mikage murmured, brushing off Ushio as she held another piece of fruit to Jack's mouth, "now open wide _Atlas-sama_,"

From the other chair, Ushio glared enviously at Jack Atlas as he was being fed by his darling Mikage however Ushio shrugged it off as he leaned back in his seat to enjoy his second helping of fruit, courtesy of Mikage.

At the side of Ushio, Carly too moped at the sight of Mikage and Jack, inwardly wishing that _she _was the one feeding Jack his fruit in place of the other woman.

Nonetheless Carly averted her attention from the other two and returned it to her own fruit salad as she uncapped the small bottle of _chocolate sauce_ she had brought with her from the kitchen and poured some of its sugary dark contents onto her strawberries.

"If you don't mind me asking…is that _chocolate sauce_?" Ushio asked turning to Carly.

Carly nodded. "Yes it is. I figured the strawberries would taste better if I dipped them in chocolate," she said, "would you like some Ushio?"

"Don't mind if I do. I love chocolate," Ushio said cheerfully, holding out the salad he had taken from Mikage as Carly smothered it in molten chocolate. Jack eyed Carly inquisitively as she ate her presently chocolate covered strawberries, enjoying the flavor of it in her mouth.

"Say Carly…can I try some of _your_ chocolate coated strawberries?" Jack asked.

At first Carly was surprised by Jack's inquiry but she smiled at him and nodded. The next thing Carly knew, Jack was sitting next to her now holding his mouth open for her to feed him one of her chocolate strawberries. Obediently, Carly dipped one of her strawberries into the chocolate before placing it tenderly into Jack's mouth.

"…Is it good?" Carly asked, observing as Jack chewed the piece of fruit hesitantly.

"It's…_heavenly_," Jack replied, smiling beside himself at the luscious taste of the chocolate and fruit combination melting on his tongue. "Another one please?"

Carly puckered a brow. "_You_…want **me** to feed you?" she said disbelievingly.

"Yes, you don't mind do you? I would do it myself but…I hear chocolate coated strawberries taste better when taken from the hands of an _elegant_ woman," Jack quoted flashing Carly a light yet charismatic smile.

"T—hank you Jack," Carly said blushingly. '…_He thinks I'm elegant! Score one for Carly Nagisa_!' Carly thought blissfully. '_Better luck next time Mikage. Tee-hee!_' Carly added with a brief glance at Mikage.

With Jack gone, the blue-haired lady was left abandoned with the remains of Jack's salad in her hand and it was now her turn to frown enviously as she watched an animated Carly continue to feed Jack her strawberries, wiping up any chocolate marks left on his mouth as she did.

"Y'know…since they're doing it…would you like me to feed you a chocolate strawberry _Mikage-san_?" Ushio suggested as he silently crept up beside Mikage and took Jack's place on the couch next to her. Mikage only looked back at Ushio with a cold look plastered on her face. "I'm a big girl Ushio and I have arms so I could feed myself," Mikage huffed angrily.

"I—I know that, it was just a suggestion," Ushio said, wincing at her livid tone of voice. "Do you mind feeding me one?" he added hopefully holding out his fruit salad to her. His suggestion only made the frown on Mikage's face deepened and Ushio instantly moved himself to the other side of the couch to avoid the woman's death glare. "I'll…take that as a no," Ushio murmured in rejection as he continued to eat the rest of his fruit in silence.

There was then a knock at the front door.

"I wonder who that is at the door." Jack said inquiringly. Carly only shrugged as she handed Jack her fruit salad to finish as she got up to answer the door. When she opened the door, Carly found none other than **Crow** standing on the other side. The other spiky red-haired Satellite boy stood on Carly's doorstep wearing his usual attire except for the canary yellow _Blackbird Delivery_ jacket that he always sported on his job.

"Blackbird Delivery—where we deliver faster than a speeding bullet," Crow recited proudly. "And I mean that literally because no one's faster than Crow the Bullet!" he added amusingly cracking his traditional goofy smirk.

Carly grinned. "Hey Crow, did you bring the…_you-know-what_?" she asked.

"Yup. Got it right here," Crow replied, bending over shortly to lift the huge package he had brought with him.

"Good, come on in," Carly said as she allowed Crow to enter her apartment.

"Hey guys, how's the food?" Crow called to the other three people in the room.

"Crow? What are you doing?" Jack asked looking up at his fellow Satellite brother in shock.

"Well I'm here to _crash_ the party," Crow said sarcastically, "Nah I'm just kidding. I'm delivering something for Carly,"

"The kitchen is right over there Crow," Carly said gesturing. Crow nodded as he went into the kitchen carrying the delivered box. "I'll be right back everyone. I'm just going to deal with Crow and get the meatballs for the second course," Carly announced to the other three as she left the room to join Crow. However as she walked into the kitchen to see Crow, Carly discovered the boy greedily pigging out on the plate of _Swedish Meatballs_ she had left on the kitchen counter. "Crow! Put those down! Those are for the guests!" Carly barked at Crow.

"Why? Aren't I a guest too?" Crow retorted casually while stealing another meatball off the plate and popping in his mouth before Carly could protest, "Besides, I thought tonight was just going to be you and Jack,"

"It was," Carly said, "until Mikage showed up with Ushio and ruined any chances of me being alone with Jack,"

"Bummer. Sounds like you're in a real jam," Crow pointed out.

"I am but…luckily that's all going to change," Carly said as she walked over to the package Crow had left ontop of the kitchen table, "because thanks to you, I have this in my arsenal,"

As she spoke, Carly unpackaged her delivery box lifting off the cover to reveal a tall three-layered vanilla ice-cream cake. The cake had been baked in the exact resemblance of the face of Jack Atlas and was smothered in chocolate syrup at the bottom with pure vanilla icing being used for his hair and coconut cream icing being used for his skin layering the top of the cake while different-coloured M&M's chocolates (mostly purple and white) decorating the rest of his body.

"WOW!" Crow mouthed as he ogled the cake.

"I know, right? It's a three-layered chocolate upside down cake and I even had it made with vanilla ice-cream as the filling. It's times like this where I really thank God that my parents are both bakers," Carly said.

"It looks exactly like Jack. It's even bigger than his _ego_," Crow said jokily, "he'll definitely like this but…isn't this a little bit too much to be spending on Jack? I mean I know you like the guy but…"

"I don't like Jack—at least not in the way that you think that I like him," Carly interjected, staring at Crow flush-faced, "I'm just doing this as a _kind gesture_,"

"…Right," Crow drawled unconvinced, "You don't like Jack just like Yusei doesn't like Aki,"

"But…Yusei does like Aki. I mean everyone knows that by now even the twins," Carly stated.

"My point exactly," Crow said.

"Well anyways, I've got guests to feed so I'm just going to put this in the fridge for later," Carly said, lifting the huge cake box and holding it carefully in her hands. She turned to move towards the refrigerator but ended up bumping into Crow who had been stealing yet another round of meatballs. There had been at least twenty meatballs on that plate originally but now because of Crow, only three quarters remained.

"Whoops!" Crow uttered, dropping one of the three meatballs he had pilfered as Carly collided into him with the box. She nearly knocked him over. But fortunately for Crow, she didn't and better yet, Carly didn't drop the cake. "Crow I thought I told you to stop eating the meatballs. I mean I don't mind if you take one but don't eat the whole plate," Carly said, "and throw away that toothpick. You could have poked out my eye with that,"

"My bad," Crow said. He tossed the toothpick he had brandished in his hand into the small trash bin beside the counter and popped another meatball into his mouth as he watched Carly opened her refrigerator door and placed the cake inside.

"Say while you're in the fridge, do you mind getting me some water please? I've been working my butt off all day. Now I'm totally exhausted. It's a good thing that this is my last delivery for the night," Crow said.

"No problem," Carly said. Reaching inside the fridge, she fished out a bottle of cold water which she poured into a small cup before handing it to Crow. "Here you go Crow," Carly said holding out the cup. Crow grinned thankfully but as he leaned forward to accept his cup, he noticed something odd about Carly---there was water dripping from the _breast_ area of her dress. Crow raised a brow at the odd sight. "Uhm…thank you," he said.

"Would you like me to get you anything else?" Carly asked.

"Uhm no…I'm fine," Crow replied absently. He was too preoccupied with staring oddly at Carly who seemed to be oblivious to the fact that something was _leaking_ from her chest. "Say Carly, haven't you noticed anything _strange_ about yourself tonight?" Crow asked.

"Strange? Strange how?" Carly inquired naively, "Is it my hair?"

"No...It's a little bit _lower_ than your hair," Crow said, "I don't know how I'm going to say this so I'm just gonna blurt it out. Carly, I think you've sprung a _leak_,"

"Huh? What leak?" Carly asked looking at Crow weirdly. Crow only sighed as he reached a finger over and poked the front of Carly's dress and Carly's eyes widened as a jet of water shot from her _breast._ Carly put her hand on her mouth. "Oh my---!"

"Carly I know I haven't seen one of those in seventeen years but I'm pretty sure that they're not supposed to do that," Crow said.

"This is so embarrassing!" Carly said embarrassedly.

"You're telling me," Crow said sweat-dropping. Carly groaned putting her hand on her chest to clog up the leak that was erupting from her left breast drip by drip however from the moment she blocked on side, the other started to drip. Carly's jaw fell at the sight as another jet of water burst from the other side of her chest. Fortunately for her, _Crow_ was there to stop the flow as he clasped his own hands on Carly's other breast. Though she was grateful to Crow for helping her, Carly still could not help but feel awkward at the fact that his hand was on her breast. And to make the situation more humiliatingly uncomfortable that it already was, in came **Jack** as he entered the kitchen.

"Carly, what's taking you so long with the…" Jack stopped as his eyes fell directly on the duo of Crow and Carly. Both Crow and Carly looked up at Jack awkwardly. Jack on the other, raised a brow especially at Crow. "Crow…what are you doing? Why is your hand on you Carly's _chest_?" Jack asked.

"That's a good question Jack. Why is my hand on Carly's chest?" Crow said laughing nervously, "I bet there is a good explanation for that, right Carly?" Crow turned to Carly for assistance which made Jack turn to her as well. Carly gulped nervously.

"Of course there is. Look I know this looks awkward Jack but I can guarantee you that this is definitely **not **what it looks like," Carly confirmed, "y'see Crow was just helping me…_readjust_ my bra. I had asked him to help me do it since he's such a helpful guy, right Crow?"

"Right! That is exactly what I was doing," Crow said, "Y'know me. I'm helpful Crow. Always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone…even if it involves me putting my hands in places where they really shouldn't be,"

"I…see," Jack muttered, "well okay, if you say so. For a moment I thought you two were actually…"

"NO! We weren't!" shouted Crow and Carly in unison.

"Alright. Well…carry on with the _readjusting_ then," Jack said as he exited the kitchen. From the moment Jack disappeared, both Carly and Crow breathed sighs of relief and Crow immediately removed his hands from Carly's chest while Carly went to counter to grab herself some paper towels.

"Okay. That was _seriously_ **awkward**. This will definitely haunt me for the rest of my life," Crow said. He then faced Carly who was busily dabbing at her leaking chest with a two pairs of paper towels in her hand. "Carly what is up with…y'know that?" Crow questioned, indicating to her chest.

"It's not what you think. I'm just wearing a water bra and I guess it must have…sprung a leak when you poked me with that toothpick," Carly explained, tossing a soiled paper towel in the trash bin and grabbing another one from the roll, "I told you that thing could poke someone. Too bad it was my _bra_,"

"You're wearing a water bra? Seriously?" Crow said staring at Carly in disbelief, "Man, I thought the cake was one thing but you really are going a **long **way to impress Jack. I give you props. You must truly _love _the guy,"

"I told you I don't—I mean I don't feel…" Carly stuttered; face flustered. Crow merely gave Carly a look that obviously said that was not convinced. "Are my true feelings for Jack really that obvious?" Carly finally said in defeat.

"Uhm…DUH!" was Crow's response, "But I think that what you're going for Jack is really sweet and I also think that he's a real lucky bastard to have a girl like you who loves him so much. But honestly Carly, you don't have to worry about making an impression on Jack because from what I've seen, he likes you already,"

"Do you know how much that he's been looking forward to having dinner with you tonight?" Crow said, "I mean he's been badgering me and Yusei about it all week. For the past three days, all we've heard is Carly this and Carly that and how much he can't wait to eat what Carly made especially for him. It was really annoying listening to him go on and on about you,"

"Wow! Jack said all that about me?" Carly said incredulously.

"He did and do you know what else?" Crow said. He motioned for Carly to lean forward which she did. "He even _starved_ himself today," Crow murmured seriously, "Yusei told me that he didn't eat anything not even breakfast. All he said when Yusei tried to give him food was that he couldn't eat anything because he was already looking forward to what Carly was making and that he was saving his stomach for the delicious dinner you were cooking for him,"

"Jack did all that…for **me**?!" Carly said, jaw hanging now.

"DUH! Who else would he do that for?" Crow said, "Listen Carly, even though he would never honestly admit it in his own words but…Jack likes you, more than you think,"

"Carly, are you okay?" Crow added looking to Carly in concern as she held her hand to her chest.

"I'm fine…I'm just surprised that's all," Carly answered, his lips twisting to form a contented smile, "now I'm more nervous than I was before. I really hope I don't mess this up Crow; I really wanted to make something special for Jack that's why I put so much effort into this dinner. For y'see, when Jack tastes my food, I don't just want him to like it…I want him to _feel_ it. I want him to feel the love, strength and determination that I put into each bite when I was cooking this food and I want him to appreciate it as well. That's how much he means to me,"

Crow nodded understandingly. "Too bad those other two---Mikage and Ushio are here to spoil the moment," he said dryly, "I mean how is Jack supposed to _kiss_ you with those two around. What a total drag."

"But…no need to worry Carly, I'm pretty sure that things will work out fine between you and Jack in the end. I can feel it in my gut and my gut never lies," Crow reassured.

"I hope so," Carly said. "Thanks for your support Crow. I owe you one," she said additionally, smiling at Crow appreciatively.

"No problem Carly. Anything for my best friend's _future wife_," Crow said returning the smile.

"Crow!" Carly uttered, cheeks reddening at the boy's remark.

"What? I say it because it's _true_," Crow said frankly.

"Anyways…" Carly said, changing the subject, "Crow, since you don't have anymore deliveries to make for tonight, would you like to stay for dinner? There is more than enough if you'd like a plate,"

"As much as I would like that Carly, I'm afraid I can't. Y'see unlike Mikage and Ushio, I'm not the type of guy who likes to intrude on a couple's tender moments," Crow said, "besides…I'm not even hungry,"

At that point in time, a sudden rumbling noise filled the room and Crow grinned sheepishly, his own cheeks turning pink in embarrassment as he held his growling stomach. Carly giggled and mimicked the same unconvinced expression that Crow had given her as she looked at him.

Crow laughed awkwardly while rubbing the back of his neck. "Well…maybe I'd just stay for a meatball or two," he said.

* * *

"Delicious! More for me please!" Crow demanded, grinning broadly as he held out the empty medium-sized white soup bowl he had in his possession for another serving of the delicacy currently at the table.

The dinner was entering its third course and following the serving of the appetizing _Swedish Meatballs_, Carly migrated Ushio, Jack and Mikage with the addition of Crow to the dinner table.

Like herself, Carly had additionally cleaned and prepped the small table in her living-room for that evening's occasion.

The table had been draped in a snow-white tablecloth decorated in images of oranges and hummingbirds which reflected nicely from underneath the shroud of plastic.

Other than the usual assortment of tableware and the complimentary champagne glass filled with ice-cold water, pure white China soup bowls had been placed infront of all at the table respectively alongwith a single fork and spoon which resided on either side of the individual's plates.

Carly had even it taken upon herself to leave a carefully-folded napkin at everyone's plate which were folded over neatly in the shape of cranes and placed at everyone's plate.

At the centre of the table, right between two dimly lit red candles and a pair of salt and pepper shakers, there resided a blue tureen suspended by a silver platter. The tureen contained a freshly brewed broth of _Gazpacho_.

At Crow's request, Carly, who was nearest the tureen, kindly opened it up and began pouring some of its tomato red contents into the bowl Crow held outstretched.

"I can't believe you want more. Crow, that's your _fourth_ bowl," Ushio said.

"I know but I can't help it. I haven't had a decent bite to eat all day besides this soup tastes great," Crow said, "what'd you say it was called Carly?"

"Gazpacho," Carly replied.

"Well me like me some Gazpacho. It's the **best **_especially_ since _Carly_ made it," Crow implied modestly as he rested his refilled bowl infront of him. "Right Jack? Isn't _Carly's_ soup just the **best**," Crow said, flashing Carly a crafty wink as he turned his friend. Jack was seated right next to him.

"Yes I'll admit it was very good," Jack answered honestly as he wiped his mouth mannerly with his napkin, "I _enjoyed_ it very much," To prove his point, his bowl was licked clean, not a trace of soup visible.

"Really? I thought the soup was kind of **flat **and it tasted as if half of its main ingredients were barely cooked," Carly commented brusquely, "if you ask me, I've tasted _better_,"

"Well y'see that's the thing Mikage, no one asked _you_," Crow implied, "when I last checked, I asked for Jack's opinion not yours so it doesn't matter what you think because **Jack** likes it," "No offense by the way," he added courteously as he drank his soup straight from the bowl, not even bothering to use the spoon this time. The boy downed his potage in less than three gulps and he was finished, he licked his lips teasingly at Mikage.

Mikage merely scoffed at Crow. "_Ushio_ agrees with me," she said smugly, "right Ushio?"

She peered across at the Security Officer who sat next to her, only to find him slurping avariciously at his own bowl of _Gazpacho_.

Ushio looked up from his bowl as Mikage addressed him, mouth frozen in mid-bite of the slice of bread Carly had served alongwith the _Gazpacho_ and the man swallowed nervously for now all eyes at the table were on him.

"Uhm…uh…can't talk, mouth is full," Ushio mumbled as he scooped up some of the soup onto his bread before propping it into his opened mouth. Though he had his head was turned in the opposite direction to avoid the angered look Mikage was shooting him at that moment.

"Well I don't know about you guys but I'm ready for the _fourth_ course," Carly affirmed.

"Is it more delicious soup?" Crow perked.

"Nope. This time we'll be having a salad. It's a _Caesar Salad_ with **chicken**," Carly said.

"That sounds great. I always enjoy a good chicken salad" Ushio spoke up, only to recoil in his seat wincing. Mikage had kicked him underneath the table.

"I don't know, I was never a huge fan of vegetables especially in salads," Jack said, "but if you made it I'll definitely eat every last bite,"

Jack flashed Carly a soft smile and Carly gladly returned the smile as she got up from her chair and began gathering everyone's emptied bowls and spoons.

"Let me help you with that Carly," Crow offered, helping Carly pick up and carry most of the bowls as he followed her into the kitchen. Once the two were alone again in the other room, Crow turned and sneered at Carly. "Looks like things are going pretty well between you and Jack so far," Crow said, "he really seems to _love_ your cooking,"

"I know. I'm really happy at how things are going so far," Carly said gladly, "at first I thought I'd end up screwing things up but it looks like I'm really lucky tonight,"

After carefully placing the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, Carly walked over to the kitchen table. Propped ontop of the table, fully prepared to be served, were another five white bowls this time containing a nice _Caesar Salad_ decked with a variation of grilled chicken. "Crow, do you mind taking these salads out for me please?" Carly asked, holding the tray of salads to Crow who nodded willingly. "Sure but aren't you coming to eat with us too," he asked as he took the tray.

"I am but right now I need to start cooking the main course which I know is going to make Jack extremely happy," Carly said, "cause y'see…"

"…I plan to cook Spaghetti Lasagna for the main course but don't tell Jack, it's a surprise," Carly told Crow softly.

"Gotcha! Just remember to leave a huge slab of that lasagna for me. I've never had lasagna before so this should taste great," Crow said grinning again.

"Okay I will but the biggest piece will of course be just Jack," Carly said, "Now I want this lasagna to be made perfect so for that I've gotta pull out my lucky pebble,"

"You have a _lucky pebble_?" Crow said looking at Carly unbelievingly.

"I know it sounds _corny_ but when I was a little girl, I always used to hang around at the local city playground in the park and take pictures of all the other kids playing duels monsters," Carly explained, "but one day I accidentally misplaced my camera and I thought I'd never find it again but I did find and the weird part was that I found it right next to this beautiful white pebble. I thought that it was because of that pebble that I was able to find my camera so I didn't to keep it for luck,"

"You honestly believe that a white pebble that you found on the ground would bring you luck?" Crow asked; incredulity still on his tongue.

"Why not? It's never failed me before. The times I rubbed that rock I've always ended up with good luck and since tonight is a special occasion, I think I'm going to give it a little rub," Carly said. As her hands touched the surface of the table, Carly felt around for traces of the tiny stone that would bring her the fortune that she needed for the remainder of the evening, remembering that she had left it there was for safekeeping. Unluckily, Carly came up empty handed.

"Oh no! My pebble! It's gone!" Carly screeched.

"Relax Carly, it's probably somewhere around here," Crow said reassuringly, "Where was the last place you left it?"

"Well…I remember leaving it right ontop of the table when I was serving the soup," Carly answered, "other than the table I don't know where else it could have gone…unless…"

"Crow did you notice anything _unusual _swimming in your **soup** when you were eating it?" Carly queried.

"Not really. I was too busy eating it to really notice anything," Crow said, "except for when I was having my third helping and I had to eat that _potato_,"

"What potato? I didn't cook any potatoes with the _Gazpacho,_" Carly said.

"Well there was one in mine," Crow indicated, "it was _white_ and a bit **chunky** too…and it was kinda hard to cut no matter how many times I stabbed it with my spoon so instead of chewing it, I just swallowed it whole,"

Carly paled. "Oh…my…gosh! Crow you _swallowed _my pebble! You **ate** my _lucky pebble_!" she shrieked.

"I did?" Crow said, "Well go figure, I thought that potato tasted a bit _rocky_," "Oops!" he added apologetically.

"No! Not Oops! Crow you have to cough up that pebble. I need it to bring me luck!" Carly said.

"I'm sorry Carly but my name is Crow not Mr. Kitty Cat," Crow said, "I can't just cough up your pebble like a hairball. I need to let nature do its handy job. I know your pebble is in my stomach now but in a few minutes it will move on to another certain part of my body so I'll probably get that back to you in a day or two," "I wonder if this was how the Goose who laid the golden egg felt like," Crow added inquisitively.

"Crow, this is **serious**! I've always counted on this pebble for luck and it has always and I mean **always **pulled through for me," Carly said solemnly, "without this pebble, I've lost all of my chances at successfully impressing Jack without screwing things up. Without this pebble, who knows what unfortunate things might happen to me. I might just end up making a complete _idiot_ of myself infront of Jack. Oh no! What am I going to do? What am I going to do?"

"Carly, calm down. Don't ya think that you're overreacting a little too much over a pebble?" Crow said, "Besides you honestly expect me to believe that a tiny pebble that you found in the dirt brought you good luck all this time. I mean honestly. What's the _worst_ that could happen without your precious pebble?"

…_Crow really should _**not**_ have said that_…

* * *

"Uhm…Carly, if you don't mind me asking but…did I do something to _offend_ you in any way?" Jack asked Carly, looking at her bashfully. He was standing over her at the dinner table while she shakily poured some freshly brewed green tea into a teacup. It was after the fourth course and since she still had yet to complete the main course, Carly called a short break and invited everyone into the living-room again for a spot of tea.

Both Ushio and Crow were occupying the couch, completely engrossed in a conversation concerning the _**Grand Prix**_ scheduled for the following year while Mikage listened to them in silence. Carly peered over her shoulder at Jack and watched him confusedly. "Offend me? No. Of course not. Why would you think that?" Carly asked.

"Well…there was the incident just now when you offered me pepper for my salad and ended up throwing the whole thing in my face," Jack pointed out, "then when I asked you for a glass of water, you missed my glass and ended up pouring the whole jar into my lap and how could I forget when you knocked over the candles and almost torched the dinner table not to mention the sleeve of my shirt,"

Jack raised his right arm, indicating to the sleeve of his blouse were a freshly burnt hole was prominent against the fabric. Carly bit her lip guiltily.

"I know you said that those incidences were just _accidents_ Carly but…I'm starting to take them personally," Jack continued, "are you angry at me? Because if you are, then I am very sorry for whatever I did to you and I would really appreciate it if you would stop trying to hurt me,"

"Don't worry Jack, I'm not angry at you," Carly assured.

'…_I can __**never**__ be angry at you, Jack' _

"I'm just…having a little bit of bad luck, that's all," Carly explained.

'…_All because of a little __**black bird**__ who ate my __**lucky charm**_,' Carly mused, glimpsing shortly at Crow who sat guffawing scandalously at something Ushio just said.

"Well okay," Jack said, "do you need some help with that?"

Carly nodded, mouthing thanks to Jack. But as Carly handed Jack the teapot to help pour out the rest of the tea, her fingers loosened slightly at the handles and she unintentionally wound up spilling hot tea all over Jack's blouse (again) not to mention his outstretched hand. A pool of smoldering hot tea presently blemished the dinner table however Carly ignored the mess as she turned to Jack who had recoiled his hand which now stung from contact with the warm beverage.

"Oh no I did it again!" Carly said guiltily, flaying her hands wildly as she hovered over Jack as he held his hand in pain, "Jack I am so sorry, it was…"

"I know! I know! It was an _accident_," Jack hissed. Carly winced at the slight annoyance in his voice.

Yet still, she immediately grabbed a napkin from off the table and after dabbing it with some cold water she had gotten from the kitchen; Carly returned to Jack's side. Tenderly, Carly grasped Jack's scorched arm in her own, holding it out as she applied the napkin, wrapping it tightly around his fingers. Almost instantly Jack felt the pain in his hand slowly go away; now being drowned out by the cold yet soothing feeling of the napkin against his skin. Breathing a relieved sigh Jack looked down at Carly only to find her looking up at him squarely. In her rush to assist him, Carly had caused the bodies of her and Jack to become a lot **closer**. In fact…now the two were standing _face to face_…their lips barely inches from each other.

Carly's face turned scarlet at the position she was in.

"Jack," she murmured timidly.

"Carly I…" Jack started as he suddenly leaned _forward_.

"What is going on here?" Mikage interjected appearing before Jack and Carly.

At once the two broke a part, both blushing like mad. Carly was then pushed aside as Mikage forced herself between her and Jack, pointing a shaky finger at the huge brown stain on Jack's blouse.

"Atlas-_sama_, your clothes!" Mikage shrieked.

"Yes I know they're kind of stained," Jack said, "Carly accidentally knocked over the coffee and well…you know,"

"Again? Honestly Carly, I thought you were a lot of things but who knew you could be so _clumsy._ Can't you be more _careful_ when handling things especially infront of Atlas-_sama_?" Mikage scolded, frowning at Carly.

"It's really not that bad Mikage…" Jack said.

"Nonsense. I mean just look at this stain. Not to worry you could borrow my coat Atlas-_sama_ to cover up that. I will **not** have you be seen in public with those stains. If you had come to _my dinner_ then you wouldn't have had to suffer such torture," Mikage said.

"Look I said I was sorry. It won't happen again I promise," Carly said.

"Sorry doesn't cut it Carly. Can't you do anything right?" Mikage snapped. Carly gasped and she looked at Mikage wretchedly, a little hurt by her words. Now she felt really _humiliated_.

"I—I have to go check the stove. Excuse me," Carly muttered, brushing past Mikage and Jack and running into the kitchen without another word to those two.

'…_As much as I'd hate to admit it but Mikage is right. All I've done is make a huge mess of things. Darn these stupid onions, they're making me cry_,' Carly thought sadly, wiping the small tears forming at her eyes as she continued to cut slowly at the onions she was now chopping, '_Why did Crow have to swallow my lucky pebble? I would have done a lot better with it. Better to be lucky with a pebble for a lucky charm rather than be a ditzy klutz who only keeps embarrassing herself and falling on her butt. I feel like such a failure now. I would hate to know what Jack thinks of me now. I wouldn't blame him if he never talked to me again after tonight…_'

'…_No Carly, quit putting yourself down! The night's not over!_' Carly assured herself, '_You could still get through this dinner and win over Jack's affections and I definitely know that this dish is going to be my trump card. This lasagna may just be my last chance to impress Jack. I just hope screw this up too. So for that I am really gotta put everything into this meal. I am gonna boil that pasta, cut these vegetables, cook that ground beef and mix that spaghetti sauce like I've never done it before. Nothing is going to stop me now!_'

"No pain, no gain!" Carly shouted confidently. She then sliced at another onion only to cut her own finger by accident. Carly bit back the urge to cry out in pain. The wound wasn't a big gash nor did it seem critical but it was still a deep cut and drew a lot of blood.

"OW! Guess I spoke to soon," Carly groaned tearfully while trying to wipe up the blood that was oozing from her cut finger with another paper towel, "Stupid knife,"

When the paper towel failed her, Carly decided to move over to the kitchen sink. Hopefully the cold water would aid to ease the pain rupturing from her sliced finger.

…Sorry to sad, _Lady Luck_ wasn't on Carly's side at all that night.

"GAAAAHH!" Carly screamed out loud. From the moment Carly switched on the pipe, she had to stagger back, holding her arms up to shield her face as she was sprayed down with a jet of cold water.

…The kitchen pipe had gone **berserk **on her!

"Oh you have got be kidding me! Of all the times for this to have a problem," Carly complained angrily. Though the water gushed strongly at her, in due time, with a little strength and persistence, Carly was able to finally turn off the pipe.

…Now she didn't have to worry about her wound bleeding much anymore. The water had washed way most of the blood (and Carly's makeup) which Carly was relieved for. The girl then migrated over to the kitchen cupboard. "Where did I put those Band-aids?" Carly pondered as she dug through the cupboard, pushing through many bottles and other boxes, "Band-aids? Band-aids? Where are you?"

Carly smiled when her hand finally grabbed the blue box of Band-aids she had been looking for. "Gotcha!"

But as he made to remove the box of Band-aids, Carly wound up knocking over something inside of the cupboard. It was a small bottle of blue food colouring which Carly had regrettably forgotten to close properly. Carly watched in horror as a bottle of blue colouring rolled and almost fell over the edge of the cupboard. It didn't hit the floor but…it **did** spill _blue_ into the boiling pot of pasta on the stove. Carly pulled her hair in dismay. "Oh no! The PASTA!" she screamed.

"Carly, is everything alright in there?" Carly heard Jack ask her from behind the door.

"Everything is fine Jack. Perfectly fine," Carly lied, "but whatever you do, do NOT come in here!"

"Uhm…okay?" she heard Jack say. When she was certain that Jack was gone again, Carly breathed a sigh of relief but she wrinkled her nose when she suddenly smelt something funny. It smelled…sort of like…_smoke_.

"Why do I smell smoke?" Carly asked herself.

She peered across at the stove.

It was **bad** enough that the pasta had been dyed _blue_ but…now as an additional stress for poor Carly; the pot of beef that she had inclusively been cooking beside the pasta was **ON FIRE**!

"The BEEF!!!" Carly shouted. A vast pillowing inferno was currently erupting from the small pot Carly had been using to slow cook the beef. Carly deadpanned at such a sight.

"Okay, don't panic Carly! It's just a little fire, nothing you can't handle!" Carly reassured herself. The fires inside of the pot then engulfed the entire thing. Carly smacked her forehead.

'…Oh who am I kidding?'

"Water! Water I need _water!_" Carly spoke as she quickly grabbed a small gravy bowl from the cupboard and used it to gather some water (after wrestling the pipe again). Carly then slowly poured the water over the beef pot, watching carefully as the flames slowly dissolved to smoke. The water had put the fire out and the beef was left to boil at normal temperature.

"Mission accomplished," Carly said in relief. She went to put the bowl back in the cupboard only to slip on herself and fall on the floor with the gravy bowl falling ontop of her head. "I really don't get enough credit for this," Carly groaned.

* * *

"Now it's time for the main course," Carly announced cheerfully.

After she had cleaned up the mess she had made in the kitchen and herself (drying her clothes and reapplying her make-up), Carly alas finished cooking her planned main dish---the _Spaghetti Lasagna_.

Ushio, Mikage, Jack and Crow had already returned to their respective seats around the dinner table and watched in eager anticipation as Carly reentered the room, balancing a securely covered dish on another silver platter.

"I know you guys have been wondering what _surprise_ meal I had cooked up for the fifth course and you would be glad to know that it's Spaghetti Lasagna," Carly said.

"Lasagna! I **love** _Lasagna_!" Ushio spoke up optimistically only to be kicked underneath the table again by Mikage. "I mean…I am undecided about how I feel about the lasagna that you have prepared Carly and I will make my full judgment once I've tasted it," Ushio added quickly with a nervous glance at Mikage.

"Uhm…well I'm sure you will love this lasagna, I can guarantee that," Carly said as she propped the dish in the centre of the table, "now this lasagna may seem a little _different_ than any other lasagna that you've tasted but…I promise that it will taste the same way,"

"Come on Carly, my mouth is drooling over here. Give us a slab of that lasagna," Crow urged.

"Okay…well here it is Crow," Carly said "Bon appetite everyone!"

With that, Carly removed the lid off the dish and exposed her cooked lasagna. It was well-made lasagna.

The Italian-type casserole dish had been baked to perfection---comprising mainly of three scrumptious coatings of smoked ground beef seasoned with chopped onions and blended with marinara sauce between multiple sheets of soft flat buttery pasta and decked in melted mozzarella cheese with a mouth-watering Parmesan cheese crust.

The aroma of meat sauce and Italian spices washed the table in a scrumptious fragrance and the dish looked like a regular lasagna---delicious and already properly sliced into equal squares to be served to the guests.

…However…there was an obvious _variation_…

…The main difference with the lasagna that Carly had made was…that it was **blue** in colour. The _pasta_ was **blue**! Carly had perfectly cooked…**blue** _Lasagna_.

Though Carly seemed calm about her dish, her dinner guests were simply…dumbfounded.

"_Oh my God_!" Crow said.

"Carly, is it just me or…is that lasagna…_blue_?" Jack inquired.

"Yes it is," Carly replied honestly, "sorry about that, I might have accidentally knocked a bottle of blue food colouring into the pasta while it was boiling," "B—But despite that, doesn't this lasagna still look good enough to eat? It does right?" Carly said looking to her guests keenly.

"Carly I don't know if there's something wrong with your glasses but…your lasagna is _blue_! You cooked **blue**_ lasagna_," Ushio said, "I don't even think it's safe for human consumption, no offense,"

"Talk about _sacre bleu_!" Crow joked.

"I don't know about anyone else here but I am certainly not eating that. I mean look at it! It's _blue_!" Mikage said disregarding the dish with a disgusted look on her face.

"Y'know I thought I would never say this but for once I agree with Mikage," Crow said, "I mean as a kid growing up in the Satellite I'll admit I've eaten a lot of strange-looking things but this lasagna takes the cake,"

"It looks like something out of a science fiction movie or on a space ship crash landed on Mars," Crow said, "I'm sorry Carly but I can't eat this either,"

"I can't even look at it. It looks _disgusting_," Mikage said distastefully.

"Aww c'mon you guys, it's not that bad," Carly said, "I mean…yeah sure, it's blue but…other than the colour, it's still lasagna so please you guys, I really worked hard to cook this. Can't you just take on little slice. It doesn't' have to be a big one,"

Carly looked to all heads at the table, begging them to try her dish but still, they were all hesitant.

"To think that I actually was beginning to think that you could pull this off but after this, all you've done is prove to me that you can't cook at all," Mikage scolded.

"_Mikage-san_!" Ushio said.

"Hey, that was kind of harsh Mikage," Crow barked.

"What? It's the truth," Mikage said.

Carly then sighed sadly. "She's _right_. _Mikage_ is **right**," Carly spoke softly.

"She is?" Crow said, looking to Carly in surprise.

"I am?" Mikage said. She too was surprised by Carly.

"Yes. You are absolutely right. I can't cook at all and I never could. I can't even cook to save my life," Carly admitted miserably, "but if there was one thing that I'm good at, it's trying and never giving up at something that I put my heart and soul into. Do you know how much strength and effort I put into planning this? Do you know how many bookstores I had to go to just to find a decent cook book within my price range? Do you know how hard I practiced at that kitchen stove, day and night, trying in vain to perfect these recipes? I don't know the first thing about making a fruit salad, I don't even know how to boil water but I did it all just for this one night,"

"…Do you know how many of my clothes I stained while practicing to cook this dinner? Do you know how many failed attempts I had to throw away before I actually managed to cook the food right?" Carly went on, "Or worst yet, do you know how many cuts and bruises I got from this? _This_ cut isn't the first I've gotten." Carly raised her right index finger showing off the blue Band-aid she had plastered around it. "There are many more where that came from. Heck I nearly set my own apartment on fire the first time I tried practicing to cook," Carly said.

"But Carly, if you didn't know how to cook then…why did you say that you could? Why did you go through all of this trouble making dinner?" Jack asked.

"Because…because I wanted to _impress_ **you **Jack. This whole dinner was _supposed_ to be for **you.** I did this all for **you**," Carly confessed, "when you told me that Mikage had cooked you something and you said you liked it, I felt _jealous _because you were so happy that she had made you a meal. So I thought if I'd cooked you something special then you would be happy too but I guess…I was wrong. All I've done is make a complete idiot of myself, worst than when my water bra started to leak,"

"Your water what?" Jack asked.

"You don't want to know," Carly said, "so if you guys don't want to eat my lasagna then go right ahead. I wouldn't blame you though. I feel like I've _failed_ you all particularly **you** Jack. I am so sorry. I really wanted this dinner to be special but I couldn't even do that,"

"Carly…" Jack said looking at her sympathetically.

"Well that's what you get for being a **novice** Carly," Mikage said impersonally, "some people just shouldn't be allowed inside of a kitchen. Not like _I_ was expecting much from _you_ Carly since you weren't the girl who studied cooking in Paris,"

"See Jack, I told you that you shouldn't have _wasted_ your time coming to this dinner," Mikage told Jack, "it was exactly what I thought it would be. Now if you had come to the dinner that _I_ had planned for you instead of this once then…"

"Oh would you just give it a rest Mikage! I **don't** want to hear about _**your**_dinner because to tell you the truth, I was actually _looking forward_ to _**Carly's**_ dinner more than yours," Jack interrupted defensively, "for the past three days, all I've thought about was enjoying a decent dinner cooked by **Carly**. I even starved myself today just so I could save enough room to eat **Carly's** food and do you want to know why? Because I was _happy_ that **Carly** was making me dinner. Just the thought of someone taking the time to prepare an entire meal for me made me feel special. **Carly** made _me_ feel _**special**_ and I _liked_ that,"

"Jack…" Carly said looking at Jack affectionately; her blue eyes twinkling with appreciation.

"Atlas-_sama_," Mikage uttered.

"So if anyone is going to judge Carly's cooking it's going to be **me,**" Jack growled, "and as for you Mikage, I have to say that I am really _disappointed_ in you for the behaviour that you displayed tonight. All you've done since you've got here is badmouth Carly's cooking and bragged about your own. Not exactly the type of _manners_ I would expect from someone who has studied abroad, wouldn't I?"

Mikage turned red in shame.

"So what if Carly didn't study abroad like you did. At least she tried her best and I think that she deserves to be appreciated and praised for her efforts not mocked," Jack continued, "Quite frankly, I've enjoyed her cooking thus far. **Everything **tasted _great_! Infact…"

All and sundry observed with bemused expressions as Jack boldly reached out and took a slab of Carly's blue before propping it on his plate. "If you all will excuse me, I have lasagna to eat," Jack said daringly, wielding his silver fork in hand.

"But Jack…it's _blue_," Crow reminded.

"And your point is?" Jack said, "Even if it's blue I'm still going to _eat_ and **enjoy** every last bite of it even if I had to eat the whole thing myself," "And if I _do_ end getting _food poisoning_ well…at least I'll puke with a smile on my face," Jack added in the same audacious tone.

Four pairs of eyes observed closely as Jack stabbed his lasagna, melted cheese trailing at the ends of his fork as he held a chunk of the food up to his mouth. Jack glanced at each watching face eyeing him before he finally popped the chunk of lasagna inside of his mouth. He chewed it for _five seconds_ before swallowing and after he did, his eyes widened as if he had had an epiphany.

"This is…the most _delicious _thing I have ever tasted," Jack said. Everyone else at the table dropped their jaws.

"Seriously?" Crow said gaping at Jack.

"Yes! Try it!" Jack advised.

Crow peered between Jack and the dish containing the blue lasagna reluctantly but…nevertheless he heeded Jack's advice.

Now Ushio, Mikage and Carly averted their attention to Crow as he followed Jack in taking his own slice of lasagna onto his empty plate and nibbling on a big chunk of it with his fingers, not bothering to use the fork. His reaction was the same as Jack's.

"You're right, it's _awesome_!" Crow remarked as he gobbled another bite of his lasagna with his hands.

Seeing that Jack and Crow were now eating the lasagna, it made the remaining three people wonder if they should try it as well. Both Ushio and Mikage looked at each other unsurely at first before they both reached and took their own pieces of lasagna. Simultaneously they both dug into the spaghetti dish and when either of them ate it they too were overwhelmed by how good the dish tasted.

"Simply delicious!" Ushio commented honestly through a mouthful of mozzarella and ground beef…and surprisingly, Mikage _agreed_ with him.

Carly was _stunned_. '…_My __**Blue Lasagna**__ can't be that __**good**__, can it_?' she thought.

To answer her own question, Carly decided to try a bite of her pasta creation only to realize that it was good…**very good**!

…And as she watched the others enjoying her dish Carly could not help but fell very proud of herself.

'…_Not bad for an __**amateur**__ cook_. _Well done Miss Nagisa, well done_' Carly congratulated herself as she took another bite from her lasagna.

* * *

Following a long evening of nonstop mix-ups, slip-ups and eating of different plates of delicacies including the odd-looking yet strangely delectable _Blue Lasagna_, Carly was pleased to know that she was nearing the climax of her dinner. _Dessert _had earlier been served during which Carly had witnessed the joy of seeing Jack's usual solemn face actually crack a _sincere_ smile as she showed him the cake she had made for him.

He had told her that he definitely liked it and then afterwards, he even hugged her for it while they were alone together which nearly made Carly faint. Fortunately she able to restrain herself as she divided the Jack-cake into several slices and sharing it out between Jack, Ushio, Mikage and Crow. Although she did make sure that the bigger half of his face was left to her. Now, it was the seventh and final course. As an ending delight, Carly served the raisin buns she had promised. The balls of pastry goodness filled with raisins and sprinkled in cinnamon and brown sugar was left upon the living-room coffee table for the four guests to all gather and share. Within minutes, the buns, like all the other treats, had been devoured and only one bun was left on the tray.

"Mine!" Crow declared. He outstretched a gloved hand to receive the last bun only to be stopped by _Jack_.

"Crow I'm warning you, you are about to lose that arm," Jack threatened.

"Aww let me have the last bun, you had all the lasagna and cake," Crow whined.

"True but you ate all the meatballs and the soup," Jack pointed out.

"I have an idea. Why don't we _duel _for it? My _Black Wing Armored Master_ against your _Red Dragon Archfiend_," Crow said, fearlessly pulling out his duel deck and flashing it in Jack's face.

"You do know that you're going to lose, right?" Jack said confidently as she waved his own deck in Crow's face, "Bring it on Crow!"

Both duelists stood standing face to face on either side of the table holding the last bun which separated them. Either Jack or Crow flashed each other confident smirks, both believing highly that they would beat the other. However Crow and Jack broke eye contact from each other as _Ushio_ grabbed the last bun.

"HEY! That's mine!" shouted both Crow and Jack; glaring at Ushio.

"Sorry," Ushio said wryly as he stuffed the last bun in his mouth. Crow and Jack were now both on the verge of starting a war between themselves and the triumphant Ushio as he sat chewing what should have been their bun.

"Guys, relax. I do have more!" Carly interrupted as she rested another tray of fresh buns on the table.

But as quickly as they came, the buns disappeared as Crow and Jack immediately raided the plate, each taking three buns in their hands. Carly stared at either boy, surprised at how big their appetites were.

"More buns Ushio?" Carly offered pointing to the tray.

"Oh no more, I'm stuffed," Ushio said patting his belly, "I haven't eaten so much in my life,"

"Me neither. This dinner part wasn't so bad. Infact I enjoyed it," Jack said eating a bun.

"Me too," Crow said with a bun in his mouth. Even Mikage nodded in agreement. Carly smiled.

'…_Looks like dinner was a success after all_…' "This calls for a celebration," Carly announced. She brought five wine glasses of different tints (one green, two red and two blue) and rested them on the table beside the buns as she held a cold bottle of red wine.

"Wow! Red wine, look who's pulling out the heavy artillery," Crow said sarcastically as he watched Carly pour the wine.

"Well it is a celebration. I cooked for myself for the first time in years and I threw my first successful dinner. If that doesn't call for champagne then I don't know what does," Carly said.

"True. One thing for sure, this dinner turned out fine and the food was great," Crow said "and you were hollering at me for eating your lucky pebble when in the end you really didn't need it at all,"

"Nice try Crow, I still want back my pebble," Carly said.

Crow sighed. "Carly we've been through this before. Didn't I tell you that you'll get it back in a day or two," he said "besides if I'm not a kitty-cat then I'm definitely not a pigeon either so I won't be popping out any pebbles soon,"

"Don't worry I've already taken care of that. If it'll help, I'll put a _laxative _in your drink," Carly said, "be sure to take the _green glass_ okay?"

Crow watched Carly funny but nodded nonetheless. When she was finished pouring out the first two glasses (the red ones) which were taken by Jack and Ushio, she moved onto the third---which was the green glass. Secretly, she dropped a tiny white tablet in the glass before pouring the wine in and she was about to hand it over to Crow when Mikage's hand beat her to the glass.

"Uhm…Mikage I wouldn't take that glass if I were you," Carly told the woman warningly, "you see that's not for you, it's for…"

"Listen Carly, it's bad enough that you made a big impression on Jack with your silly dinner which surprisingly wasn't bad," Mikage said harshly, "but I will be damned if told me which glass to take, so if I were you I would let go of this glass and let me have a nice drink, okay? I'm going to need all the wine I could take after this night,"

Carly stared at Mikage, taken aback by her cold words.

…_You_ _would think that Carly would put aside what Mikage said and tell her the truth nonetheless but_…

"Sure Mikage. Go right ahead. Drink _every last_ drop," Carly advised.

"I will," Mikage said as she walked off drinking from her glass.

"Uhm…Carly, that's the _green glass_," Crow said observantly as he watched Mikage drinking from the glass that was originally for him, "I mean wasn't that the glass that you gonna give…"

"Yup," Carly said.

"But…isn't that the glass where you put the…"

"Mmm Hmm,"

"And you're gonna let Mikage…"

"Uh huh,"

"But…wouldn't that make her…"

"Exactly," Carly said as she handed Crow his new blue glass, holding up her blue own, "I tried to warn her but some people just don't know when to listen to others. So if you're a good little birdie, you would keep your mouth shut or else no more buns for you,"

"Fine. My beak is sealed," Crow said, pretending to zip his lip and throw away the key as he accepted his drink and clinked glasses with Carly.

* * *

The _Winged Kuriboh_ clock chimed _12:00PM_.

Alas it was the end of the night. The dinner had finally ended and Carly now stood at her opened front door, bidding all of her guests goodbye as they left. The first twosome to leave were Ushio and Mikage,

"Thank you for your generous hospitality," Ushio said gratefully as he held out his hand to Carly.

"You're welcome Ushio," Carly said, grasping Ushio's hand as the two shared a respectful handshake. "Mikage?" Carly glanced briefly at the other woman.

"Yes thank you for tonight," Mikage said smugly. "Ushio, let's go," she barked as she exited without another glance at Carly. With a tiny wave to Carly, Ushio bowed himself out as he left, sprinting down the hall to catch up to Mikage.

"Yo Carly, thanks for the buns," Crow managed to mutter through a mouthful of dough and raisin filling as he waved farewell to Carly. In his hands he held a plastic bag chockfull of raisin buns that Carly had given to him which he tossed over his shoulder.

"You're welcome Crow," Carly said grinning at the red-head duelist, "Make sure to save some for Yusei by the time you get home,"

"I'll try," Crow muttered as he left down the hall.

"Don't worry I'll make sure that he does get those to Yusei," Jack reassured, "thank you for the dinner Carly, it was nice," "we should do this again sometime,"

"You're welcome Jack," Carly said, "but I hardly doubt I'll be doing this sort of thing again anytime soon,"

"Well that's too bad, I was kind of getting use to your cooking. I enjoyed it very much especially that blue lasagna, I think that one was my favourite," Jack said.

"Really? Thank you Jack," Carly said grinning.

"Say Carly, one more thing before I go," Jack said, "I may not have studied abroad either but I'm smart enough to know that after enjoying a great dinner, it is compulsory to properly thank the cook and the hostess for a wonderful meal,"

"So here are my thanks for being an excellent hostess," Jack stated firstly. Carly's eyes widened as Jack suddenly leaned forward and planted his lips over hers in a kiss that sent her hormones into overdrive.

"And this is for being an excellent cook," Jack concluded as he, for a second time, kissed Carly although this kiss was deeper…more passionate. Carly could have practically taste the faint tang of cake hinted on Jack's breath and she moaned, her knees giving away and Jack had to hold her up in his arms as her body practically melted in his arms. When he was finished _thanking_ her, Jack released Carly and the girl mentally whimpered as their locked lips parted and Jack helped her to regain her posture. Now Carly stood crookedly with her body leant against the door for support as she stared at Jack's face as if in a trance.

"Goodnight Carly," Jack said, smiling despite himself as he walked past Carly to stand outside the door.

"G—Go—Goodnight Jack! Thank you for coming," Carly managed to choke out.

"You're welcome," Jack said, "oh…and Carly?"

"Yes?" Carly said.

"You can't _faint_ now," Jack said.

"Oh…okay," Carly said before walking over to the couch and fainting on it. Jack laughed at Carly in amusement before closing the door behind himself.

* * *

…What a night!

…I am truly proud of myself for tonight. For someone who didn't know how the first few principles of cooking---like how to boil water or even tell the difference between a spaghetti spoon and a spatula—I did really well and this night was a _definite _**success**…

…I even got **Jack** to actually _like _one of my dishes. Who knew that my _Blue Lasagna_ would end up being on of Jack's _favourites_? I should probably save that recipe…

…I mean **Jack** enjoyed my cooking so much that he even _kissed _me to thank me for it…**twice**! Even though he's not here anymore, I could still feel his beautiful lips against mine…kissing me _tenderly_…_passionately_!

…I could still taste the faint _flavour _of his breath…he tasted…like a combination of chocolates and vanilla ice-cream…

…It was a _sweet_ and _delicious_ taste…

…The _sweet_ and _delicious_ taste of **love**…

…

…and it tasted _**yummy**_…

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

In another part of New Domino City, Ushio and Mikage had been silently riding in the front seat of the man's vehicle as he kindly drove her home to her apartment.

However Ushio was forced to stop his car and turn to look at Mikage in concern for she had suddenly fallen ill along the way.

Apparently the effect of the small laxative that she had accidentally consumed earlier at Carly's place was slowly beginning to take its effects. Fortunately for Mikage, she had yet to experience the _full_ blast of the drug nonetheless it still made her feel incredibly sick to the stomach as she sat in the front seat of Ushio's car rubbing her stomach. Her complexion had become slightly greenish and she was holding her hand up to her mouth near the car window as if she was on the verge of puking.

"_Mikage-san_? Is everything alright? You look sick," Ushio said to Mikage concernedly.

"I don't know. My stomach hurts," Mikage groaned.

"Looks like someone ate a little too much," Ushio said amusingly with a light chuckle.

Mikage rolled her eyes at Ushio. She tried frowning at him but the slightest movement of her face made her stomach churn. "Listen Ushio, I don't think my stomach could hold out until I get home. If you don't mind, can I stay at _your_ apartment for the night? It is closer," Mikage asked beseechingly.

Ushio's eyes widened slightly at Mikage at her request. "You want…to stay…at my house for tonight," he repeated in disbelief, thinking that she was joking. But Mikage nodded her head, facial expression serious.

"Yeah you don't mind do you?" Mikage whimpered, looking at Ushio imploringly.

"No of course not," Ushio said. His answer made Mikage crack a light smile which in turn made Ushio blush faintly. "Thank you Ushio. I owe you for this," Mikage whispered silently as she leaned her head against Ushio's shoulder, closing her eyes with a satisfied smile.

"You're welcome _Mikage-san_," Ushio said as he restarted the car and continued on his way, now heading to his apartment.

It was fortunate that Mikage's eyes were closed at that moment otherwise she would have seen the huge successful smile that had crossed Ushio's lips.

…Guess Carly wasn't the only one who reigned _victorious_ in **love** that night.

_Score one for Tetsu Ushio too!  


* * *

**Mistress: **FINALLY!!!  
I'm finished with this chapter! Now I know that I'm late in updating again (one week and two days late) but to tell you the truth, I have been working at this chapter for the past 7-10 days.  
This one chapter is by far the longest chapter I've ever done for this story (about eighteen pages long) which I had not intended to do before.  
I honestly hope for what it's worth that this chapter turns out to be good considering it's length and how long it took me to finish it. Seriously, people,I'm talking tiresome nights trying to finish this chapter. O.O_

But anyways, I'm glad that it's done and I hope you guys enjoyed it, especially all you Retribution-shippers.  
I know you've definitely been waiting for this last helping of Retribution-shipping and I hope it satisfies your taste. I even threw in a side of Crow for your amusement :) Me like Crow. I hope I kept him in character, though. I even put Ushio and Mikage in which is a first for me.

_Another thing, I would like to apologize to all the Mikage-lovers or Care-shippers who read this chapter. I know I kinda made Mikage sound like a...bitch...when talking to Carly but I had to in order to make this chappie work so please don't flame me**.  


* * *

**_

**King of Her World**, **I'll Be Your Sunset** and now **A Meal Fit for A King**. That was the last scoop of **Retribution-shipping**.  
Now it's time to move on to the next item on my agenda. The **Retribution-shippers** aren't the only ones who'll be getting their full share of scoops.  
Yes! You've guessed it, my fellow **Faith-shippers**, it's time for you to get your servings. The following three chapters will be dedicated to the Yusei X Aki pairing that we all know and love.  
And to start things off, I have a little **bonus** chapter. A request from **StarlightDragon16.** I won't tell you what it'll be about, I'll just leave that as a little _surprise_.  
Until next time, see ya later!

* * *

To all my readers I thank you for your generous reviews thus far :)

_Now because of you, _**A Recipe For Love and Laughter**_ has reached **29** reviews, **15 **favs and _**8 **_alerts. It's even been added to **2** C2s.  
T**hank you! Thank you very much for all of your support :) You guys rock!  


* * *

P.S Blue Lasagna does exist O.o Well at least the pasta part. I've tried blue spaghetti before and it tasted yummy :)  


* * *

**Please review! Will you let you try Blue Lasagna if you do :) Critiques are also welcomed.**  


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**_


	5. Twilight's Blossoming

**Chapter Five:**

"_Twilight's Blossoming"_

…Within the mysterious corridors of the Spirit World resided _Stardust Dragon_.

…He currently resided within the crescent-shaped mouth of a diminutive cavern amongst a sea of boulders hidden in the mountains of the Spirit World. Like any other day, Stardust Dragon had resumed his traditional position; perched high upon the crystallized mountains he called his domain where he would mostly spend his time overlooking the world that was visible below him.

…It truly amazed him at how different the Spirit World was as opposed to the lands of the "other world" where his master resided.

…Compared to that world, with its modernized structure and its revolutionized forms of technology and human science, the Spirit World would seem almost like a _dream world_ thought up through the imagination of an infant.

…It was a _fantasy world_…with its never-ending fields of evergreen grass and muliticoloured flowers that stretched across its endless borders colouring its various small villages and kingdoms.

…Almost hard to believe that this world was once falling apart; _**crumbling**_ underneath the cold influence of the evil that previously shrouded its lands in seas of billowing darkness.

…Fortunately through the combined bravery of the **Signers** led by his _master_ and the fierce strength of him and his fellow dragon brethren (including Power Tool Dragon and Dark Wing Armored Master), they were able to summon the Legendary King of all Dragons---the _**Crimson Dragon**_ and the chaos that was previously caused by the Earthbound Gods and their human _puppets_: the **Dark Signers**, was uplifted.

…Not only was peace restored to the World of the Humans but to the Spirit World as well. Now the _Spirit Realm_ had returned to its enchanting and peaceful state. A sanctuary where his fellow duel spirits could live together side by side. The golden eyes of Stardust Dragon twinkled contentedly as he carefully watched the other dueling spirits dwelling in the fields below him.

…They were all so _carefree_. Most of the spirits were relaxing by the riverbanks, their bodies cushioned against the soft grass beds while they enjoyed the feeling of the pleasant afternoon breeze against their faces whereas a few of the other spirits, mostly the water attribute monsters were swimming in the water; sometimes disturbing those nesting on the banks with their raucous behaviour and constant splashing.

…A few of the elderly spirits were gathered at a couple of tree stumps or underneath the shade of the forest deeply engrossed in conversations on various topics whereas the younger spirits were playing quietly amongst themselves; some running wildly through the meadows in games of tag, hide-and-seek or other forms of recreation while others sat comfortably on the grass either making themselves accessories out of the flowers or enjoying lunches of some of the fruit that were indigenous to the Spirit World.

…Amongst those who were relaxing were his fellow dragons. Located in the fields was _Ancient Fairy Dragon_. Like most of the spirits, she was seated on the grass; her golden armored body shimmering underneath the light of the afternoon rays while her beautiful butterfly wings enveloped the bodies of the seven infantile duel monsters that were crowded around her in interested anticipation.

They were all listening closely as the dragon told them tales of her past adventures with her and the other four dragons while they fought alongside the Crimson Dragon.

Across from Ancient Fairy Dragon laid a lion-like duel spirit.

It possessed a flowing mane of infernal reddish-orange fur and a snow white pelt which, similarly to Ancient Fairy Dragon, sported glistening armor of gold and silver festooned by pearl blue jewels which fully clad its shoulders, hind legs and front and back paws. Its forehead was painted with a strange symbol which was positioned underneath the bluish-grey pointed horn that was also embedded in the middle of his forehead.

This creature was referred to as **Regulus**. He was the loyal servant and self-appointed bodyguard of Ancient Fairy Dragon and following the incident when she had been freed from her sealed imprisonment, since then Regulus has never let her out of her sight. Always keeping a watchful eye on her though he maintained his distance careful not to crowd her too much and give her some space.

Currently _Regulus_ lay sprawled off on the grass a couple of metres away where he silently observed Ancient Fairy Dragon lecturing the children.

He yawned boredly despite himself as he watched his mistress carefully with narrowed yellow eyes, trying his hardest to not disturb the little ball of fluff which slept next to him. The creature was _Kuribon._ She had decided to thoughtfully keep Regulus company and had joined him on the grass where she sat curled up against him, her fluffy brown head resting peacefully against his soft belly while his tail fanned her face.

…In another part of the fields was _Power tool Dragon_. The Machine Type monster was currently involved in a minor practice battle against another monster from the neighbouring grounds. This creature was an Earth Attribute Beast Type Monster and resembled a lion which a mane of pitch black fur with trailed down the back if its light brown body and contrasted with the deep silver of its sharp claws. This monster was known only as _Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts_ and was quite well-known throughout the regions of the Spirit World having once served the first King of Games in the past generations.

Though Gazelle was quite strong with its lightning fast agility and powerful reflexes, surprisingly Power Tool Dragon proved to be a formidable opponent for he effortlessly evaded each one of Gazelle's swift assaults parrying them with a couple of interesting moves of his own. Both monsters were so close in their attacking maneuvers that it was impossible to prove which one was going to win. All in all, either monster was enjoying the battle _**especially**_ Power Tool Dragon who would once in awhile stop in the midst of the fight to give short narrations to the crowd of other monsters watching their duel (no different than the dueling styles of his master).

…Lastly, as for _Red Dragon Archfiend_. He was seated majestically upon a throne he had personally carved from pure limestone where he sat in silence, his dark eyes shut tightly as he napped soundlessly. Though once in a while the dragon would open his eyes to bark heatedly at anyone who dared to disturb his solitude (another one who was no different than his human counterpart).

…

…Stardust chuckled lightly to himself as he observed his friends from the heights of his home. But eventually he averted his attention to the skies. He admired how attractive the afternoon sky looked whenever the sun sets. The beautiful shades of rose pink and orange reflected in the pale yellow orbs of Stardust's eyes as he stared absentmindedly at the clouds.

As the sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains in the distance, Stardust raised his head urgently as he realized that the time had come for him to leave his domain. Outstretching his white wings towards the skies, Stardust released a strident roar as he descended from the pinnacle of his domain, his body plummeting towards the world of green before he gradually ascended into the heavens. The dragon soared swiftly through the sky, enjoying the thrill of the flight and the feeling of the wind against the light turquoise of his scales until he eventually came to an abrupt stop. Stardust Dragon had just arrived at his present location which was a small brook not to far from the garden fields.

Bit by bit, Stardust descended…his movements reduced to a slight hover as he circled the area. With his eyes fixed on the glistening waters of the pond, Stardust waited patiently.

Despite being a small pond, it was very famous for its large variety of fish.

…And then Stardust saw it. Its shadow lingered underneath the water…gliding summarily against the current of the stream…until alas it _**surfaced**_!

It was a **huge** _fish-_--no bigger than the size of a dragon's claw.

Its bluish-green scales sparkled underneath the heat of the sun reflecting against the clear blue water and its long goldfish-like tail flapped riotously as it jumped from the water.

However the poor creature wasn't able to return to the water…for from the moment it leaped…it was immediately ensnared by Stardust. The dragon had dived down and caught the fish, trapping it in the sharp teeth of his mouth before its body could hit the water. With the fish in his mouth, Stardust returned to the skies.

He was never one to fish. Infact his kind hated fish. But fishing had become one of his daily routines ever since he paired up with _her_.

…

…After the events of the war between the **Signers** and the **Dark Signers**, his relationship with the other female dragon of his group---_Black Rose Dragon_, had developed beyond the borders of comradeship and he had found himself growing **closer** to her than all the other dragons.

Stardust still remembered the first time the two firstly encountered each other.

Despite the fact that his first meeting with her was on a heated battlefield in the midst of a brawl between his master: _Yusei Fudo_ and her master: _Aki Izayoi_, he could still picture the moment clearly in his head.

…Either dragon standing on opposite sides of a battlefield…their masters' voices ringing in their ears to attack each other. The first Stardust Dragon had seen _Black Rose Dragon_; he would admit that he felt a little **intimidated **especially by her appearance. Never in his existence had he seen a dragon quite like her.

The deep black tint of her scales, the blood red of the petals that feathered her upper body and wings and the piercing thorns that protruded from her prickly tail alongwith the vines that erupted from underneath the concealment of her flowery exterior…all those features screamed that she was purely **dangerous**.

But strangely it was not her features that intimidated him the most.

It was her **eyes**…the same dark eyes which he remembered glaring directly at him from the other side of the field. Her eyes were so _fierce_…so full of **rage.**

But underneath that rage he acknowledged **pain**.

It was probably the same pain that he assumed she shared alongwith her master---the woman that his master was trying to save. It was understandable to him. Dragons often shared the same feelings expressed by their human partners due to the strong connection between beast and summoner.

He guessed that Black Rose was probably experiencing the burdens of her master just like he was feeling the strong concerns that his master had for her master. In the same manner that his master wanted to save her master he wanted to save her.

…He _**wanted**_ to **vanquish** her _fears_, **eliminate** her _burdens_ and **free** her from the _hurt_ that she was feeling.

…He _**wanted**_ to **protect** her.

Though typically, at first, Black Rose Dragon wasn't exactly an _easy_ beast to convince.

As he flew, Stardust negligently traced the scars that were faintly visible on his chest, remembering the stinging feeling of her thorns against his flesh after receiving wounds from the attacks she had inflicted upon him in their past battles. Nevertheless…ultimately…Stardust Dragon was able to win over Black Rose Dragon and just like how his master opened the door to her master's heart, he did the same.

Eventually Black Rose Dragon grew to trust him and she no longer saw him as her enemy but as her comrade. But the friendship he shared with Black Rose did not last long because…from the moment he got to know her Stardust soon began to notice the true beauty that was Black Rose Dragon and that like any male dragon in his situation, he was _aroused_ by her appearance.

He fell in **love** with her.

But she was **way** out of his league.

As a matter of fact, there was even a little bit of _competition_ between him and Red Dragon Archfiend (Power Tool Dragon was too young) in terms of who was the _better_ **male** for Black Rose Dragon.

…And at first, he thought that Black Rose would have chosen _Archfiend _as a suitable **mate** (considering that they were both very strong dragons and even _**matched**_ since they shared the same red colour)

But to Stardust's surprise, Black Rose picked _him_.

…And she expressed her deep affection for him when she led him away from his domain one day and to a secluded area where the two shared a very **passionate** moment together.

Following in the footsteps of the dragon ancestors that came before them, Stardust Dragon and Black Rose Dragon conveyed their love for each other in a sacred ritual that united them both **body** and **soul**.

…It was dawn of a new beginning for the both of them and for the while…the two were _happy_.

…However…lately, Black Rose had not been her usual self. For the past few months, she had been acting very _strange_. Firstly, it all began when she had migrated herself to an isolated area of the forest where she had built herself a _nest_ out of nothing but withering flowers, branches and twigs and she had not moved from that very spot since. Secondly she had been exceptionally _moody _for the past days that it was hard to tell the times when she was approachable. One minute she was _**snapping**_viciously at anyone who dared to trespass and disturb her inside of her nest (which was usually poor Power Tool Dragon who only wanted to get her opinion on something), the next minute she was unusually _**chipper**_(having a nice conversation with Ancient Fairy Dragon) and then at other times she was _**wailing**_ (mostly at Red Dragon Archfiend, ordering him to find Stardust immediately).

It was honestly _confusing_ to tell the times when she was decent from the times she was not. To make the situation worst, she was even moody towards Stardust Dragon himself.

Since she had stubbornly rooted herself to her nest, she had dubbed Stardust as her main _feeder _and was constantly badgering him to find her something to eat since she was unable to do it herself.

Not like he didn't mind. As her _mate_, it was his duty to provide for her. However it was hard when she kept pestering him to go all over the Spirit World just to find her something edible and it certainly did not help the situation when she kept snapping at him whenever he didn't bring her something that was up to her taste. It was very **annoying**, in Stardust's opinion. But nonetheless, even though it aggravated him most of the time, the dragon bared with it because he knew it was understandable for Black Rose Dragon to be behaving in that sort of manner.

After all, all _pregnant_ dragons acted that way the first time they were expecting.

Stardust remembered Ancient Fairy Dragon telling him that it was typical for first time mothers to act that way. And Black Rose had done a fine job protecting the _three little treasures_ she had hidden underneath the warmth of her belly. She had produced them only weeks ago and Stardust could not have been more proud of her.

It was a very excruciatingly painful process for her but she endured her pain in silence and it was good for Stardust to see the contented smile on her face as she eyed their eggs lovingly like any mother would.

She had looked so cute. And now all the two had to do was to wait for their eggs to hatch.

Stardust had been hoping that after the eggs had been laid, his precious Black Rose would have lightened up a little.

After all he remembered Ancient Fairy Dragon additionally advising him that first time mothers were supposed to become less protective of their eggs after they had been laid and could leave them safely inside the nest if they wished.

But **not** Black Rose! Unlike other female dragons, Black Rose was quite stubborn and purposely _refused_ to leave the eggs alone.

She was incredibly protective of her future children.

She didn't even trust others, like her comrades, to watch the eggs. She didn't even trust Stardust to watch the eggs---telling tales about her past when the males of her species including the expecting fathers would eat the unhatched babies when the mothers were away from the nest which was why she did not trust Stardust to watch their future children. Again, Stardust did not mind. He was a very indulgent creature (very much like his master) and respected Black Rose's wishes and therefore kept his distance.

However her protectiveness kept Black Rose Dragon rooted to her nest and because of that, she hasn't left there in almost three weeks. All she did was lay in the same spot in her nest waiting as patiently as she could for the time the hatchlings would emerge from their eggs. But Stardust knew his mate very well…and he knew that the prolonged waiting was making her miserable and it worried him to see her so pained.

Finally Stardust arrived at his next location. It was the familiar forest where Black Rose was situated. As he had expected, Stardust found her as usual still lying inside of her nest. The thorny roots underneath her petals were rooted within the ground absorbing the nutrients from the soil and her head was laid against the leaves of her nest with her long neck dangling off the side. Stardust moaned sadly as he observed her presence. She looked so lifeless in that position. She didn't even look up as he landed infront of her. With the fish propped in his mouth, Stardust held it out to her. It was barely alive but was still putting up quite a fight inside of his jaw and Stardust barked lightly at Black Rose to take it from him quickly. However Black Rose refused the offering. She didn't even budge. To help a little, Stardust propped the fish on the ground and used his nose to nudge it up to her. But still she refused to eat. Infact Black Rose gave a harsh snarl and turned her nose up at the fish turning her head in the other direction. Stardust growled himself. '…_Guess she isn't hungry_,' were his thoughts. He then realized what she was looking at. She was looking at the treasures underneath her belly.

She almost looked hopeful…as if praying that at least one of them would hatch but unfortunately not one of them did. Black Rose whimpered.

Stardust looked at her miserably.

He **hated** seeing her like that. He wanted some way to cheer her up.

…And then the idea came him!

Stardust cracked a light smile as he took flight once more. He flew high above the clouds where he hovered just above the garden.

Stardust released a strident roar hoping to get Black Rose's attention. He did. She looked up at him warily. Now that all the attention was on him, Stardust dragon extended his wings which suddenly glowed against the skies. Beams of shining white and blue light then appeared from his wings and enveloped his entire body in an aurora of flashing lights.

Without hesitation, Stardust plunged; his body spiraling downwards as he briskly flew over Black Rose who watched him intently as he soared over her, speckles of shimmering stardust trailing at his heels. Stardust then took another high glide and accelerated into the skies and using the stardust as his ink, the dragon began drawing out something in the skies. Black Rose Dragon watched completely awe-struck as the glowing form of Stardust Dragon glided swiftly though the skies, zigzagging in and out of the fluffy clouds like a paintbrush against a canvas as he maneuvered his body skillfully to make sure that each line of his masterpiece was forged to perfection. When he was finished, Stardust Dragon withdrew himself and whipped out of the clouds to admire his work. Using nothing but his imagination and the power of the stars that had been bestowed to him, he had created the perfect image---he had carved an exact representation of Black Rose Dragon from nothing but stardust.

The portrait portrayed Black Rose Dragon standing with her enchanting wings of petals extended amidst a picture of a rose which was in the background. The portrayal hovered radiantly above the gardens; illuminating the faces of the grasses and everything else below including Black Rose, who was peering up at Stardust Dragon, completely dazzled at his artwork. However Stardust was not finished yet. The portrait was merely the beginning performance to what he had planned in his mind. Releasing another braying roar, which echoed through the skies, Stardust rose higher and higher into the atmosphere until his body was in line with the shadows of the still setting sun in the distance.

Pointing his body towards the stardust portrait, Stardust did the unthinkable. The wind Attribute monster opened its maw and fired a beam of shooting white light which ricocheted towards the picture. But as the attack zoomed towards the portrait, Stardust also took another deep dive…a dive which turned into a signature move as Stardust twirled his body round and round combining the strength of his attack with himself and absorbing the light of the shooting sonic into his body. As he had anticipated, the light covered his body entirely and Stardust Dragon turned into a _shooting star_ which zoomed towards the portrait. Black Rose Dragon hung her mouth in amazement. The next thing that happened was the shooting Stardust Dragon collided with the portrait which suddenly dispersed, releasing thousands of balls of twinkling starlight. The starlight fell in the shape of rose petals…tiny white rose petals which shone brightly as they rained over the garden. Most of it rained around Black Rose Dragon and the dragon stared wide-eyed as the petals laid sprinkled on her body, highlighting the deep red hue of her petals before disappearing before her eyes.

It was then when Black Rose Dragon recognized this feat. It was known…as **Twilight's Blossoming**. It was a dance that was previously performed commonly by dragon males especially the males of Stardust's kind to entice their females. He had performed that very dance the first night he had conveyed his love for her…the first time they had mated. It was a very special dance…one which commemorated the beginning of their relationship and Black Rose was infatuated with that dance. It was something that made her smile for the first time in decades and she had assumed that was the reason why Stardust did it for her that day…to make her smile and she could not help but appreciate the effort that her mate had put towards her. It showed how much he cared about her and she liked that.

So when Stardust alas returned to the ground and landed before her, with a sharp growl, Black Rose beckoned her mate towards her. Stardust Dragon hesitantly approached Black Rose, holding his head down bashfully as if he had offended her. He bent his head lower as he silently whimpered an apology for stirring up such a fuss with his dance however Black Rose merely raised a thorny tentacle to Stardust's lips to silence him as she planted her tongue on his face and licked his cheek lovingly.

"…Thank you," Black Rose Dragon cooed appreciatively, passing her tongue over Stardust's face in another affectionate kiss. Stardust peered at Black Rose in surprise by her sudden change of mood but nonetheless, his lips curled into a crooked smile. "You're welcome, _my love_," Stardust Dragon breathed soothingly, returning the warm gesture as he wrapped his long neck around Black Rose's and caressed her face, "for _you_, I would do _anything_,"

"I know," Black Rose Dragon whispered contentedly, "and…I want you to forgive me. I know I've been behaving quite edgy for these past times and I would like to apologize for that. It's just that I'm so worried about our babies. Ancient Fairy Dragon said that hatchlings are supposed to emerge shortly after their eggs are laid and ours have been in hibernation for more than three weeks. I'm starting to believe that they might just never appear. Stardust, what if we never get to see them? What if we never get to see the faces of our children?"

"Nonsense. Do not fret _my love_; it is common for some hatchlings to be a little late in coming out," Stardust Dragon reassured his mate, "just be a little more patient. I'm sure that it would not be long before our children finally appear. Besides at least when our eggs do hatch, the first thing our babies will see is the beautiful face of their mother,"

"…and the strong face of their father," Black Rose Dragon finished rewarding Stardust with another kiss for his comment, "you are so wise. I'm happy that I chose you to be my mate,"

"And I, you, _my love_," Stardust Dragon responded touching his forehead to his mate's and sighing happily. They remained in that position for several minutes, enjoying the feeling of each other's touch. "Y'know what I'm feeling a bit puckish since I haven't eaten anything all evening," Black Rose said breaking the silence, "I think I will eat that fish that you brought me," She indicated to the fish which had been neglected at the foot of her nest. By then the poor creature had fully passed and presently lay lifeless against the dirt. Lowering her mouth to the small morsel, Black Rose glanced at Stardust Dragon briefly. "Do you mind…sharing this with me please?" she inquired timidly, eyeing her mate optimistically.

Stardust mentally grimaced as he peered at the fish skeptically. He really did not like fish.

…However…when he noticed the sparkle of beseech in the eyes of his beloved Black Rose, the dragon just could not refuse. "…Of course," Stardust Dragon replied willingly as he too lowered his neck to the fish. Black Rose Dragon beamed at him. Opening his mouth, Stardust Dragon leisurely started to peel the skin off of the fish with his teeth when he realized that Black Rose Dragon wasn't joining him. Instead she lay with a confused expression plastered on her face as she glimpsed cautiously at underneath her belly.

"What's the matter? Is something wrong?" Stardust Dragon inquired his mate concernedly. "I don't know for sure," Black Rose responded, "all I could say is that…I think there will be _three more guests_ joining us for lunch."

At first Stardust Dragon did not comprehend what his mate was informing him about however he got the point of what was happening as Black Rose uprooted herself from the ground and carefully yet finally removed herself from the nest. She moved to stand beside Stardust Dragon and joined him as they both stared inside of the nest.

Inside of the nest, cushioned amongst the assortment of withering flowers and twigs that Black Rose has assembled laid three eggs the size of a dragon's fist…the surface of their shells glistening like stained glass. However the eggs were all moving. The giant-sized orbs were rolling about inside of the nest and loud cracking noises were being made as the outer shells of each of the three eggs was slowly starting to break.

Both Stardust Dragon and Black Rose Dragon watched with intrigued faces as their eggs continued to hatch themselves. With every strident crack made, a different part of each egg's outer shell began to rupture as the baby within tried desperately to liberate itself.

Suddenly a chunk of one of the egg's shell broke off leaving an opened gap in its crust. Stardust Dragon and Black Rose Dragon both leaned in closer and peered at the inside of the gap in the shell.

At first no further movement came from the interior of the shell but then something popped out of the shell. It was a head. More punctures were made in the outer shell and then there was one loud CRACK!

The entire outer shell of the egg broke apart revealing a tiny baby dragon. It was a _girl_. She resembled her mother exactly although the shade of her skin was a lighter hue than that of her mother's. Similarly, unlike her mother, the young Black Rose Dragon had a shorter tail than her mother's (which bore no thorns) neither did she possess the black and scarlet petals and leaves that flourished around her body and at the top of her head nor did she bare any prickly tentacles. Instead the newborn had a pair of odd-shaped red and black lumps which protruded from the skin and covered her body and trailed from the top of her head to back of her neck. They appeared to be _seeds_ and according to Black Rose Dragon, those _seeds _would eventually blossom into the lovely petals that all dragons of her kind possessed when they're nearing adulthood. Same went for her tentacles which would begin to grow out as she becomes older. The baby Black Rose dragon was so tiny and appeared quite _defenseless_ without her thorns. Her tiny eyes were closed as she lay immobile between the pillows of flowers covering the nest.

Stardust Dragon and Black Rose Dragon peered at their firstborn child closely but averted their attention as another rupturing crack was heard followed by another. The remaining two eggs had fully hatched as well revealing two more baby dragons. The second baby was another girl. She was a twin of the first daughter although her skin was a darker shade than that of her sister's and her seeds were a light _blue_ colour, completely different than the red shade of her sister's. A soft moan escaped from the lips of the second daughter as she blindly crawled over to be next to her sister nudging her softly with the bridge of her nose. The first daughter in turn, finally decided to move herself and started nipping at the bluish seeds of her sister's chest playfully which contrasted with her red ones.

As for the third and last baby. It was a bouncing baby boy…a son. He was the splitting image of Stardust Dragon and especially had his father's strong set of lungs as he wailed loudly from his spot in the nest, causing his two sisters' to break apart in their little playful squabble. Both Stardust Dragon and Black Rose Dragon chortled lightly as they glanced at each other lovingly. Black Rose Dragon even whimpered as she eyed each of her three children tenderly, her maternal instincts immediately kicking in as she raised a tentacle to gently stroke the top of her son's head to silence his cries.

"…My love, our children…they are so beautiful," Stardust commented blissfully. "Just like you," he added licking his mate's cheeks.

Black Rose Dragon cooed. "And you," she said, pointing another thorny tentacle to their son.

Dissimilar to his sisters who had both returned to playing amongst themselves, nipping at each other's seeds, baby Stardust Dragon was doing otherwise. He was preoccupied with flapping his tiny pale blue wings in a rushed attempt to fly. At first, it seemed that he was able to for his little body slowly hovered a few centimeters above the ground…before he felt back over into the nest, his attempts failed.

Since his primary trials at flying backfired on him, baby Stardust Dragon abandoned making an effort to fly again and instead resorted to staring at his present surroundings curiously. He had just noticed that he was sitting inside of his nest since the moment he had opened his eyes and now, his pale yellow optics scanned ever crevice of the nest from root to leaf until…they ultimately moved upward and landed on the face of his father---Stardust Dragon. He was looking down at him with the same expression of curiously hinted on his older face. Baby Stardust Dragon then tilted his tiny head at his dad and like a big mirror; his father mimicked his movement and tilted his head at his son. Either Stardust dragons were intrigued by each other but neither dared to approach the other.

Until finally, with a light cackle, Black Rose Dragon use her tentacles to gently push baby Stardust dragon closer to his father. Stardust Dragon in turn bent his head to touch his nose to his son's. The difference in sizes of noses was truly amazing and as he watched his son closely he realized that he lacked the pointed sharpness that all adult males of his kind possessed (something that he would gain when he becomes a full adult).

Like previously, the two Stardust dragons---adult and baby, father and son stood staring blankly at each other's faces with their eyes fixed directly on each other, neither refusing to break eye contact.

However it was baby Stardust Dragon who eventually made the first move when unexpectedly, his lips twitched and he cracked his first smile at his daddy, his tiny tongue licking the tip of his nose. At first, Stardust Dragon appeared surprised by the sudden gesture made by his offspring but his surprise soon melted into fatherly love. The eyes of Stardust Dragon softened as he looked into his son's face kindheartedly and licked him back.

Baby Stardust Dragon made a soft noise as if he was laughing as the tip of his father's tongue tickled his face. Baby Stardust Dragon then looked up at his father, flapping his wings feverishly beckoning for his father to pick him. Chuckling, Stardust Dragon raised his clawed hands to pick up his son but stopped and almost jumped out of his scales as his two daughters suddenly popped out from behind their little brother. Following baby Stardust Dragon, the twin baby Black Roses joined him in persuading their daddy to pick them up too and were bouncing on the balls of their tiny scaled feet. Stardust Dragon merely smirked lightly as he lowered his arms, allowing each of his children to climb into the palm of his hands before lifting them into his arms and hugging them to his chest.

Beside him, Black Rose Dragon stretched her neck across and kissed all three of her beloved children who all cooed underneath the warmth of their mother's touch. Black Rose Dragon then held up the dead fish from before. She held it over her children's heads so that they could share in eating it.

Each of the babies planted their tiny mouths against the carcass of the fish, their tiny teeth tugging at its skin hungrily. Similarly Black Rose Dragon joined her children in devouring the fish, breaking apart some of its pieces so that it would be easier for the babies to chew.

Ultimately, regardless of whether or not it was against his taste, Stardust Dragon ultimately joined his mate in helping their children eat, chewing on some of it himself.

…After all…it was the first meal that he, Black Rose Dragon and their children would share as a family…and was the beginning of the many others that were soon to come.

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**Mistress:** Hey ya'll :D Sorry for the late update again D:I know I'm a week and some days late again (I really should stop doing that). It's just that I had originally planned something totally different for the new chapter but when I had almost finished that, I decided at the last minute to change it and do the new chappie like this instead. I hope you guys enjoyed it.

I know I enjoyed writing it :3 Yeah I know, it's a first. It's **Faithshipping** only it's a **Stardust Dragon X Black Rose Dragon** romance chapter. How is that for a twist :D  
This was a request by **StarlightDragon1636**. Sorry ya had to wait so long for it. I hope you like. I want ya'll to give me your honest opinion on this one.  
Love it, hate it, lemme know pwease :)  
The power of Baby Stardust Dragon's cuteness demands it *holds up Baby Stardust Dragon* LOL XD  
The next chapter will be a bowl of sweet Yu-Aki action. Hope all my Faithshippers are hungry :) Anyways until my next update.  
~Mistress

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**A Recipe For Love And Laughter **has now reached _2312_ hits with _37_ reviews, _2_ C2s, _22_ Favs and _11 _alerts! As always, thanks for all the support everyone :D Please keep 'em coming. Also thanks to **I Karone I** for adding me as her fav FF author.

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_Please **review**. **Critiques** are welcomed too._

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	6. Bubbly Kisses

**Chapter Six:**

"_Bubbly Kisses"_

It all started with a visit from **Aki Izayoi**.

It was just another average afternoon over in the Satellite District and as usual, **Yusei Fudo** found himself continuing his unfinished preparations for the Grand Prix scheduled for the following year.

The dark-haired Signer was positioned infront of his system computer propped downstairs in the building that he was renting alongwith his two fellow Satellite brothers, preoccupied with the schematics for the new engine.

His cobalt blue eyes were glued to the ultraviolet screens of the computer, his fingers typing feverishly at the keyboard when there was a sudden knock at the door upstairs.

"Hello? Is anybody home?" a female voice called from the other side of the huge door.

"It's open," Yusei responded, not even bothering to avert his attention from his work for he already knew who the person was. As the duelist had anticipated, the front door was pushed open as Aki Izayoi entered. The other female Signer was dressed in her Duel Academia uniform indicating that she had traveled all the way from the school back in New Domino City.

"Hey Yusei," Aki greeted, waving to Yusei as she descended the small staircase. Yusei murmured a silent 'Hey' as he continued his work at the computer. He didn't even look up as Aki passed him to drop her school bag on the small couch at the corner of the room before slumping down on it herself.

"Where are Crow and Jack?" Aki added curiously noticing that the other two duelists and fellow Signers were not present. "Crow went out on another one of his deliveries," Yusei replied, "and as for Jack, I don't know. I think he went over to that coffee place that he likes. I'm not sure,"

"Mm'kay. So…I guess I have you all to myself for this afternoon which is good," Aki said smiling lightly as she looked over at Yusei, "I really wanted to spend some time with you today. We haven't really…y'know spent time together or even seen each other since the whole incident with Heitmann-_sensei_ at the Duel Academia,"

"Well y'know I've been busy with the preparations of the new engine system. The Grand Prix is only months away," Yusei said casually.

"True," Aki said, "and I've got school so I guess I've been kind of busy myself…y'know with doing homework and studying for exams and stuff,"

"Speaking of which, how are things going over at the Duel Academia?" Yusei asked.

"Well from what I've been hearing around the campus, it looks like the kids in Rua and Ruka's class have improved in their dueling skills after watching you duel with their instructor. Every since you defeated him and his army of Antique Gear Golem in that duel, the children have become more confident in dueling. You've really inspired them," Aki answered.

"That's sound great. I'm glad that I was able to help them," Yusei said, "and what about you?" Finally Yusei took his eyes off the computer screen and turned his full attention on Aki. "How are you doing Miss Izayoi?" he asked, a smile playing at his lips, "Rua told me that you're practically a _dueling prodigy_ over at the academia,"

"I wouldn't exactly go so far as to call myself a **prodigy**," Aki stated truthfully, "but I have been getting the highest scores in the entire campus,"

"Well that's good. I'm glad that you're doing well at the school. I'm **proud** of you," Yusei said beaming at Aki. "Really?" Aki's eyes widened at the compliment and her cheeks turned pink as Yusei smiled at her.

"Well…uh…thanks Yusei," Aki said bashfully.

Yusei flashed Aki another wholehearted smile as he faced the computer again.

"So…uhm, what about you?" Aki spoke up, "How are the preparations for the new engine coming along?"

"It's still a _work-in-progress_ and there are still _a lot_ of bugs to work out," Yusei answered honestly, "but other than that, it's going pretty well. I'll have to wait until Jack and Crow come back to test it out,"

"Mm'kay. Cool," Aki said.

"Yeah cool," Yusei murmured.

Soon an awkward silence broke out between Yusei and Aki.

Neither knew what else to say to the other following the first attempt and even though, Aki would once in awhile open her mouth in hopes of starting a fresh conversation with the other duelist in the room, she would always end up closing her mouth and giving up on the chance. The minutes passed by and not another word were spoken…the only sounds that were audible were the nonstop tapping of the computer keys as Yusei typed away at whatever he had up on the computer and the smacking noises from Aki as she presently laid sprawled off across the couch, eyes peering absentmindedly up at the ceiling while she chewed on _something_ in her mouth.

"Uhm…what are you eating?" Yusei inquired questioningly, briefly glimpsing across at Aki.

"Oh it's just some **bubble gum**," Aki answered. She reached a hand into the pocket of her burgundy blazer and fished out a small plastic blue and yellow bag. Inside the bag were tiny balls of multicoloured chewing gum in the different shapes. "I stopped by the candy store along the way. The owner called it **Bubble Dolls.** They're shaped like all the _Synchro Monsters_," Aki explained, "Would you like one?" She shook the bag lightly and propped one of the candied gums into the palm of her hand.

It was a tiny sphere of _**blueberry**_ sugariness which was shaped in the exact resemblance of a **Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon**. Aki willingly offered the gum ball to Yusei however he shook his head.

"…No thanks, I'm not really a _fan_ of bubble gum," Yusei said, "I kind of had a _bad experience_ once involving gum when I was a kid. I didn't want to share my teddy bear with him so Jack thought it would be funny if he stuck a piece of gum in my hair. To make a long story short, I was bald at four-years-old and I didn't get all of my hair back until I was five"

Aki snorted. The likeness of a four-year-old version of Yusei without his traditional and _infamous_ **crabby** hairstyle popped into her head and the young girl resisted the urge to roll on the floor laughing.

"Oh c'mon Yusei, everyone likes bubblegum," Aki said, "Just try one. I'm sure you'll like it,"

"Here, this one is shaped like **Junk Sychron**," Aki added, holding up another gum ball which was _banana yellow_ in colour and shaped like _Junk Sychron_. Yusei eyed the miniature chewing gum shaped like one of his favourite Tuner Monster skeptically. "…I don't know Aki…" he said.

"Please Yusei, just one. Do it for _me_," Aki begged.

She stared at Yusei imploringly, hoping that her girlish charm and puppy dog eyes would win him over. To Aki's delight, it did work. Yusei was broken as he heaved a sigh of defeat, outstretching his hand for one of the gum balls. Grinning perkily, Aki placed the Junk Sychron gum doll into Yusei's hand which he in turn, popped into his mouth. "How is it?" Aki asked.

In the same skeptical manner, Yusei crushed the candied replica of his monster between his teeth, chewing it leisurely as he contemplated on its taste. "It's good," was his final response as he gave a small shrug.

Aki cracked another smile. "Hey, can you blow a bubble?" she then asked.

"Blow bubbles?" Yusei looked at Aki confusedly.

"Yeah like this," Aki said. Her lips parted slightly, forming the shape of an "O" as she used the gum she had in her mouth to blow a bubble. The bubble came out transparent and green but popped as soon as it was blown.

"I guess I can do that," Yusei said, "Let me try,"

Following the same fashion as Aki, Yusei opened his mouth and blew a bubble just like Aki.

Just like Aki's bubble, Yusei's came out crystal clear though his came out _blue_ and was slightly bigger than Aki's until it popped in the middle of his face causing Yusei to pull the stuff from his mouth.

"Wow! That was a big one," Aki said, "you're good,"

"Well I wouldn't call myself a pro at this but when I was growing up in the Satellite, Crow and Jack used to steal a couple of boxes of this chewing gum from the candy trucks that would sometimes pass through here. I remember living off this stuff. Crow, Jack and I had a lot of fun with this. Even back then we were competitive with each other. We always used to challenge each other to see which one of us can blow the biggest bubble," Yusei said. "I always won though," he added grinning triumphantly.

"So you could almost say that you're the undefeated bubble-blowing champion," Aki said. An idea then popped in her head. "Hey I have an idea. Why don't we have a **duel**? But not your _usual _**duel**…a **duel** of _bubble gum_ to see which one of us can blow the biggest bubble?" Aki suggested.

"_We_? As in **you** and **me**? Right here? Right now?" Yusei asked.

"Yeah. I certainly have nothing better to do and it'll be good for you to take a break from that computer for awhile," Aki said, "come on Yusei, it'll be fun. I'll even let you have the first turn,"

"Well when you put it that way…" Yusei said, "Alright let's do this,"

"I have to warn you Aki. I'm a little bit of a _pro_ at this and I _always_ **win**," Yusei said additionally with a confident smirk.

"Well we'll see who the real pro is Mr. Fudo," Aki said with a confident smile of her own. She then dropped three more gum dolls from the pack into her hand.

The **first one** was _strawberry pink_ and the **second one** was _light blue_ whereas the **third one** was _orange_.

"Arm with your weapon monsieur," Aki declared, holding out the three gum dolls for Yusei to pick, "which one will it be? Do you want…the **Dark Magician Girl** or **Elemental Hero Neos**? Or maybe you'd like **Winged Kuriboh**?" Aki indicated to each one as she spoke.

The **pink **gum ball represented the _Dark Magician Girl;_ the **light blue** one represented the _Elemental Hero Neos_ whereas the last one, the **orange** one, was of course _Winged Kuriboh_.

Yusei eyed each ball carefully before making his choice.

"I think I'll take _Winged Kuriboh_," Yusei said picking the **orange** ball, "the smallest of monsters always bring the biggest of luck,"

"Suit yourself then. I'll take the _Dark Magician Girl_," Aki concluded, returning the light blue ball to the bag while she held up the pink one, "Lady luck,"

"Alright," Yusei said chuckling. He and Aki now faced one another, eyes firmly on each other with their chosen gum balls in hand.

"Ready," Aki said, "Set…**Chew**!"

At the command, both Yusei and Aki popped their respective gum dolls in their mouths, both chomping at it fiercely. Following seconds of countless chewing, Aki looked up at Yusei and said, "You're move Mr. Fudo,"

Yusei nodded assertively.

…He was _definitely_ **ready**.

Opening his mouth wide, Yusei blow out the biggest bubble he could have made using only two gums.

It was a fairly big bubble. It engulfed Yusei's whole mouth when it popped. Wiping the mustache of gum off of his mouth, Yusei turned to Aki grinning from cheek to cheek with the same bombastic smile plastered across his face. "How's that?" he asked.

"_Impressive_ but I think I could beat that. Who am I kidding? I could definitely **beat** _that_," Aki boasted.

"Really? Show me," Yusei said. Aki only smiled as she opened her mouth.

…From only two dolls of gum, Aki blew the _biggest_ bubble that Yusei had ever witnessed in his life.

….It was practically the **mother** of all bubbles.

….It towered over the bridge of Aki's mouth and nose and nearly covered her entire face when it suddenly exploded sending sticky pink mesh all over Aki's face covering her mouth and nose including her eyes.

Yusei's jaw literally hit the floor.

"Wow! That's…that one mighty big bubble," he admitted, completely awe-struck. Aki smirked jubilantly after finally managing to clean all of the gum from off of her face.

"Thank you Yusei. You're not the only one who's good at blowing bubbles. I chewed this stuff so many times as a little girl I made a **globe** out of it," Aki said giggling, "So Mr. Fudo, do you think you can _beat_ me now,"

…

…Yusei pondered about that himself.

…Honestly…he had no chance in hell at beating Aki now…

…As implied previously, she had blown the **Mother** of all bubbles, how was he supposed to compete with that.

…But fortunately for Yusei, he had a plan. A _deviously_ **bittersweet **plan that would definitely snag him the win. "I'll have to admit Aki but you're good…really good," Yusei said frankly, "but…I think I can **top **that,"

"Oh yeah prove it," Aki said.

…And that was what Yusei _**gladly**_ did…

…As he had done before, Yusei chewed his gum a couple of times before opening his mouth again.

He blew out a second bubble, only this time he only blew on it until the bubble was no bigger than the size of his thumb. With it at that size, Yusei stopped blowing and instead held the small bubble in place in his mouth without letting it pop. He then stood up and walked across to where Aki sat. Aki puckered a brow at Yusei and watched him strangely as he approached her with the un-popped bubble in his mouth.

"Yusei! What are you…?" Aki started but before she could have finished asking the question, she was thrown off guard.

For Yusei had suddenly leaned it and pressed the gum bubble to Aki; allowing it to pop against the surface of her lips as he planted his own lips over hers. For a second time, Aki felt her eyes widen. She certainly had not interpreted this from their tiny duel. One minute they were having a friendly duel of blowing bubbles (which she was winning until he cleverly decided to _change _his strategy) and the next minute, their lips were stuck together by the superglue of the chewing gum and the two were…_**kissing**_?!

It was enough to make Aki's head spin…and her heart skipped a beat as Yusei moved his lips against hers in a slow yet passionate motion and even cupped her face trailing his fingers against her reddening cheeks…his touch tickling the surface of her skin. What shocked Aki even more was when Yusei _licked_ the bottom of her lip, causing Aki to gasp and open her mouth as he stuck his tongue inside of her mouth. Aki literally had to grip the edge of her seat as she felt Yusei's tongue swimming inside of her mouth. He explored every space and crevice of her mouth; savoring her delicious flavor and in turn, gave her a taste of him as he breathed hotly into her. He even played with her own tongue for a while and Aki couldn't help but moan as their tongues wrestled against each other inside of her mouth. When he was finally satisfied with her, Yusei broke the kiss. As soon as their lips parted, Aki fell back on the couch breathless and her cheeks were now more flushed than before. **Never** had she been kissed like _that_.

What _stunned_ her more was that she was kissed like that by **Yusei**! Now that was a **move** she had not seen coming. Aki then felt the inside of her mouth. She could still taste his breath on her tongue.

He tasted sweet like sugar.

But something was _**missing**_. It took Aki a while to realize that it was the gum she was chewing.

When Aki looked up she was surprised to find Yusei smiling down at her…_**chewing**_. Not only was he chewing his gum but now hers as well. He had pilfered her gum from right inside of her mouth.

"Do you think you can **top **_that_?" Yusei said tauntingly, sticking his tongue out at Aki to show that he indeed had her gum in his possession.

Aki only gawked at Yusei, mentally praising his brilliance. What a _sneaky_ little **crab** he was indeed. But like any lady, Aki knew exactly when she had been defeated in a fight and as much as she hated to admit it, this was definitely a battle she had lost hands down.

"…Nope, I definitely fold," Aki answered.

"I figured just as much," Yusei said smirking triumphantly, "told you I was a _**pro**_,"

Blowing another small bubble with **Aki's** gum, Yusei turned and was making his way back to his computer to return to his work when Aki grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"…Uhm…Yusei, if it's not too much to ask but…could I have my gum back?" Aki asked timidly. Yusei merely smirked at the flushed look on the girl's face and laughed to himself.

"My pleasure," was what he said as he blew yet another bubble before pressing his lips over Aki's again.  


* * *

**Mistress:** This was a _random_ idea.  
I thought up this after I was up at my relative's yesterday. My younger cousin and I were having a small duel to see which one of us could blow the biggest bubble from chewing bubble gum. At first, it seemed that my cousin was victorious however in the end, I was able to come from behind and achieve ultimate victory :D That...and a chewing gum mustache LOL XD  
As usual, I hope all my fellow **Faith-shippers** enjoyed this one :) I know this is the first actually **Yu-Aki** chapter since the first chapter that started all this and I hope you liked it ^.^ Expect another **Yu-Aki **sandwich soon.  
~Mistress  


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Thank you for **3000+** Hits!  
I accept **requests** for chapters. If you got a request for a chapter involving your fav pairing, let me know :)  


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_Please **review**! **Critiques** are welcomed too!_  


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	7. Qualms From a Black Rose

**Chapter Seven**

"_Qualms from a Black Rose"  
_

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Have you ever been **afraid**?

…And when I say _afraid_, I don't mean the _usual_ fear that causes you to scream and run away in fright…I mean that "particular" **fear** which renders you completely helpless and incapable of movement or even common sense…leaving you immobilized and stupefied.

Have you ever been **afraid** of something so terrifying that it causes you to instantly become breathless just by the mere sight or _thought_ of it?

Have you ever been **afraid** of something so terrifying that it causes your heart to writher in _unbearable _**pain**?

Have you ever possessed a **fear** that was so terrifying that you kept it a secret from those around you; never wanting them to know the truth of the monster that lurks deep within your conscience only coming alive in your nightmares?

…Or have you ever possessed a **fear **that was so terrifying…so utterly frightening that you wouldn't even admit it to yourself?

Some individuals have fears like that.

There are those afraid of **spiders** (_arachnophobia_) and those afraid of the **dark** (_achluophobia_).

There are some who are afraid of **high places** (_acrophobia_) and then there are others who are afraid of **blood** (_haemophobia_).

There are even those who are afraid of **people** or being in the company of others…a fear of socializing (_anthropophobia_) and therefore keep their distance from other individuals and live the rest of their lives wallowing in isolation and complete solitude---never making friends or finding love.

All in all, **fear **is something that exists in _everyone_

…And regardless of how ridiculous it may sound to others, _everyone_ is **afraid **of something!

**I** should know.

In the past, when I was formerly known around New Domino City as the infamous **Black Rose Witch**… I had been especially recognized for my **monstrous** powers and psychic abilities which I used willingly to summon forth my pets of mass destruction and wreck havoc on those who dared to speak ill of me. In those times, people were **afraid** of _me_. **I** was their _fear_.

So one would be curious to ask…what would an ex-witch as myself be most afraid of?

Good question, actually, what am I most afraid of? What terrifies me the most?

Well…in the beginning, I thought I was afraid of **myself-**--

Ever since the day I had awakened my powers and the mark of the **Crimson Dragon** had firstly appeared on my arm, I was forced from that day onward to live with the cursed affiliation of being, in the words of my father, a **monster**,

Because of my powers, I was forced to live a life of loneliness and isolation. A life without affection and companionship because in all honestly, what _foolish _person would _**love**_ a **monster**---the very thing that caused them fear? People were afraid of me! Afraid that if they only dared to come close to me they would instantly becomes victims of my dangerous abilities.

But what others did not know was while they were afraid of the **Black Rose Witch**, _I _was also afraid of her. At that time, I was my own fear. I was so terrified at the thought of loosing control of my powers and unintentionally inflicting pain on another person or worst myself; and that was a fear I had to endure every living day of my life…

…At least _back then_…

There was a time when I was afraid of a world without my "precious" **Divine**.

Yes, I was so attached to Divine that I was frightened of the very thought of losing him. Divine had been the first friend I had made, the only one who offered me a helping hand when no one else would acknowledge me. Divine has been the first person to ever accept me and support me when no one else would. He had been the one who took me in and gave me a home and "place" inside the shelter of the Arcadian Movement.

He had been my **rock** and unbeknownst to anyone else, my very first _love_.

Even though I was too embarrassed to openly admit it, I had developed strong romantic feelings for Divine during my time with him and because of my infatuation, I believed that as long as he "loved" me, nothing else mattered and that things would always be fine as long as Divine was always by my side.

How _**naïve**_ had I been back in those days?

I was so dependant of Divine that I made him think for me. I had come to obey every command that Divine ever told me and unknown to myself, I had become his faithful servant.

A _**puppet**_, to be more specific.

A puppet without her own conscience, only moving at the will of her master.

Oh how my heart grieves whenever I recall the devastating moment as I watched helplessly from the balcony of the old Acadian Movement headquarters as the body of my beloved Divine plummeted towards oblivion. That moment had broken my heart.

But it _hurt _me **more **when I discovered that after all that we'd been through together, I was nothing more than a **toy** to Divine.

How _saddening_ was it for me to hear that after all we'd been through together, I had been **used** by Divine and that the only reason he had been interested in me was, not for the person who I was, but for the **powers** that I possessed. The powers he had hoped to aid him in achieving his ultimate goal of building an army of psychic duelists at his command.

After all that we'd been through together…Divine had _loved_ only my **powers**, not **me**.

Following that event…I had lost all hope for myself…

I thought that I would have never recovered from that shocking blow. The Divine I knew and loved had all been a lie derived to deceive me.

I had lost "my" Divine and with it, my so-called "place" and "love".

Those were the fears of my past…

And just when my fears had become a haunting reality…a warm light illuminated vibrantly and vanquished the shadows of my internal qualms.

It was the Light of Hope that I had been born from the new-found friends I had made.

It was then that I realized that even without Divine, I still had a _place_ in this world.

It was a place amongst the **Signers**---the four other beings who shared not only the same mark and unforeseen destiny as me, but also my pains. For like the five markings that bonded together to summon the legendary Crimson Dragon, I was bonded to the four remaining Signers…my _friends_ and that was a bond that could never be broken.

And in my newfound place…I also found newfound love. I had found love within a certain young man.

It was this very man that had saved me from my loneliness…he who had severed the chains that once linked me to Divine and finally freed this unwilling puppet of its strings, making me realize that I didn't need Divine to think for myself.

His name was _**Yusei Fudo**_.

Oh how I deeply admired Yusei, not only for his strength and courageous heart but also for his kindhearted and benevolent spirit which always seemed to reflect in the beautiful skies of his blue eyes…eyes that I wanted to look at me forever.

Yes I had found _**love**_ and with it…a new beginning.

So what would you say is my fear now?

Well…even though, I had many fears in the past, they were all conquered when I met Yusei and the other Signers and with the help and love of my friends, those fears are now behind me.

So one could say that I have **no** fears now, right?

**Wrong**! There is still one single fear that lies in the pit of my heart…the fear that I believe is _**worst**_ than all my past fears. That fear…is the fear of losing my loved ones.

Not like I would let that falter me.

For with a new beginning comes a new resolve. This past puppet has gained a heart of burning courage and is willing to do anything in her power, even at the cost of her own life, to defend and protect those who she cared about…especially the young _man_ that she **loved** so deeply.

Divine was no longer my strength.

I was now my own person and my strength came from more than just my psychic abilities, it came from my friends. _My_ **friends** are _my_ **power** and no matter what, I would always protect them!

And no one or nothing was going to stop me…not even my FEARS.

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**Mistress:** A new update in** February 2010** :) Not bad. Almost in time for a special holiday that's coming up in the next few days. I know it's been long since I've last updated. I hope my fans aren't too mad at me. But since we're on the topic of updates, it's been a while since I've seen all of the old popular 5Ds pairing fanfics being updated. What happened to **Lucarly** or **Kelisdina**? Back in the summer, there fanfics were on fire but now that summer is over and school is out, I guess everyone has settled down to get their heads in the books for schoolwork. I know I have =/ But since I'm on my break for Carnival, I thought I would update the fanfics that I have long neglected (once more, my apologies).  
Nonetheless, I received reviews and continuous support despite my long hiatus. Thank you very much for that. So to my fellow Faithshippers, this chapter was for your guys. I hope you enjoyed your scoop of YuAki. Even though it was written from Aki's P.O.V, there was still tiny chunks of the pairing hidden in between the sandwich and I hope you dudes and dudettes liked it.  
I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again but...if I get a chance, I might put up another one for that special "lovey-dovey" holiday. If not, then free **Faithshipping** and **Retributionshipping** chocolates for all.  
~Mistress

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Thank you all for your continuous support. "A Recipe For Love and Laughter" presently stands at **6000+** Hits  
Please continue to enjoy the story as it progresses :)

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_Please **review**! **Critiques** are welcomed too!  
_(...But please don't **overdo** it with the **_critiques_**, thank you *_*;)


	8. Pudding Pop

**Chapter Eight:  
**"_Pudding Pop"_

_9:45 P.M _

_June 8__th_

…_Click! Click! Clickety Click! Click! Click…! _

Those were the noises that resounded from the silver-coated laptop propped professionally upon the desk belonging to the young women seated dutifully behind it.

Bare fingers, perfectly manicured to the tip, typed repeatedly at the alphanumeric keys, the index finger of her left hand pausing once in a while to jab feverishly at the mouse keys.

Golden yellow eyes gleamed fiercely as the face of the young woman was glued to the computer screen. At that hour there was no light in her office. In the dim light coming from her computer screen, her pale skin reflected the images of nameless figures and documents she had opened on her computer; different numbers and letters scrolling down the rectangular screen like marching ants whereas her darkened face reflected her tiredness.

Nonetheless, the young woman forcibly drowned her growing exhaustion in gulps of coffee gone cold in the long hours and shook the sleep threatening to overtake her eyes as she continued to pursue her work with slightly rejuvenated energy. Mikage mentally groaned, massaging the back of her sore neck.

An exasperated sigh escaped her lips as her eyes scanned every single piece of data scattered across her screen, carefully analyzing and memorizing it to herself for further use.

It was another tiresome Tuesday night and like always, she was caught working overtime. A routine which she had unwillingly adopted ever since she joined the New Domino City Administration and Security team and became its Chief of Special Security Investigation.

Things certainly did not turn better when the mysterious rider known as Ghost suddenly appeared. Because this unmasked vigilante started running amok around the city, threatening the sanctity of all the Turbo duelists, Mikage has been forced to pour her life and soul into this case, working both day and night on a ridiculous shift in order to solve the identity of this mystery duelist.

With such work on her hands depriving her of energy, most people would expect Mikage to complain about the strenuous workload. Some of them like her imprudent lower-class subordinates (commonly referred to as the 'rookies') had even mocked her resolve, making a bet that she would crack under pressure in the first few weeks of her instatement.

However Mikage had proven to her peers that she can more than handle herself and more importantly, that she can do her job without fault. Instead of feeling pressured, Mikage felt the opposite. As a matter of fact, Mikage enjoyed the challenge.

She liked the thought of making herself useful to both the N.D.C.A.A.S and the people of New Domino City and that's what has kept her going since. As hours passed by, Mikage continued her work without stopping.

She refused to allow anything to distract her from her work. Even with the sounds of cars and Duel Runner echoing outside her office window, she didn't stop her work.

She didn't even look up when there was a sudden knock on her office. Mikage blinked at the sound. She had assumed all of her co-workers had checked out for the night.

Apparently she was mistaken. Out of curiosity, Mikage answered the knock, calling out to whoever was on the other side of her door. "Who's there?" she asked.

"Mikage-san?" A voice replied. Mikage recognized the voice immediately. It could have only belonged to her partner: Tetsu Ushio.

"Ushio?"

Finally Mikage looked up from her screen just as Ushio entered her private office. He was dressed traditionally in his uniform courtesy of Sector Security and he waved to her behind her desk. Mikage simply shrugged at his entrance returning to her work. "What are doing here?" she questioned briefly.

"Me? I was about to ask you the same question," Ushio stated. Pulling up a stray chair, he took a seat infront of Mikage, eying her closely.

"I just got back from patrolling the city for any signs of that mysterious rider named Ghost. Y'know the one who's been going through our cities attacking the neighbouring Turbo Duelists," Ushio explained, "so far I've found no traces of that guy. I was hoping that I could find out whoever this person is and put him behind bars once and for all. It's bad enough that we've got to deal with our usual criminals in the Facility but the fact that this guy has the gall to attack our fellow duelists especially after all that it took to rebuild this city. He's got some nerve. The chump! Wait till I get my hands on him!"

"Did you manage to find him? Or at least find out anymore leads on him?" Mikage inquired.

"Nope. I found nothing. With the whole of New Domino Administration and Security being alert about his existence, it seems like this Ghost guy will be keeping a low profile for awhile. I guess we won't find out more information about him until he starts attacking the duelists again. Until then I'll be sure to have my men be on the lookout for any signs of Ghost activity," Ushio said, "but…as of tonight, I'm calling it in. I've been patrolling all day for this guy. It's time for me to head home. I only came back here to get my stuff. That's when I noticed a light in your office and came over to investigate. I thought that everyone had gone home already. Why are you still here Mikage?"

"You're not the only one being forced to work overtime with this whole Ghost Case," Mikage answered, "as the Chief of Special Security Investigation, I've been asked personally to take this entire case as my full responsibility. Right now I'm just organizing all the data we've collected concerning the duelists who've been attacked by Ghost thus far. I was hoping that by doing this I can figure out some connection between Ghost and the duelists he's attacked and probably figure out his identity."

"Nice deduction," Ushio implied, "have you found anything yet?"

"…No…Not yet. There's so much information to analyse. I've been here hours trying to process everything that we've gotten about this case and I still have more to finish," Mikage grumbled sourly, reaching a hand to massage her neck once more, "it's going to take me a long while before I could make anymore conclusions."

"What's wrong with your neck?" Ushio asked concernedly indicating to Mikage's motions.

"Nothing. It's just a little sore," Mikage replied honestly, "I mean your neck would be sore too if you've been stationed at your desk all night."

"All night? Why didn't you take a break?" Ushio suggested.

"A break? Don't be ridiculous Ushio. I have too much work to get done to even consider taking a break now," Mikage said, "besides what kind of chief would I be if I was caught slacking off on my job."

"Since when is taking a break considered slacking off?" Ushio said, "Honestly Mikage-san, you look exhausted. If you're worried about falling behind in your work, why don't you just take a short break to clear your mind and flex your fingers? You could always return to your work afterwards. The computer and the files aren't running away, y'know."

"Obviously you don't realize the kind of position I'm in and how much others are counting on me with this," Mikage said.

"You're right. I don't. I'm not the one who's chief. You are," Ushio said truthfully, "however I _**am**_ your assistant. I'm here to help you and one thing that I'm going to do for you is to help you relax. You push yourself too much Mikage-san. If you keep this up you'll tire yourself out. Then what good would you be if you become too exhausted to even lift your finger?"

'…_He has a point_…' Mikage thought. Nonetheless, she still remained typing at her desk, ignoring Ushio's words. When she was not listening to him, Ushio frowned crossing his arms firmly. Before Mikage could have stopped him, Ushio suddenly grabbed hold of the back of her office chair and practically forced her away from her computer wheeling her out to his chair infront of her desk.

"Take a break," Ushio said insistently.

"But…Ushio…" Mikage begged.

"Take a break," Ushio said firmly, "put your feet up and take it easy for a minute or two. You work too hard for your own good Mikage-san."

"It's not that I want to work hard it's just that I want to be useful to everyone," Mikage grumbled, "besides I'm used to this sort of continuously overnight motion. I've grown accustomed to it after working for both Goodwin and Atlas-sama previously. Those two always needed me 24/7 especially Jack so I was prepared to do the extra work despite my own exhaustion. I've been used to it for so long I've forgotten what it's like to take a break from all the work."

"You're kidding," Ushio said incredulously, "when was the last time you took a breather and had a good night's rest? Or forgot about your work and just enjoyed yourself a little?"

"To be honest, I don't know. It's been so long," Mikage answered sighing tiredly.

"You're really what people might call a workaholic Mikage-san," Ushio said, "I'm a workaholic myself. I mean I am an officer in Sector Security and like any officer, I always have to be alert and on my feet for whenever any disturbances occur. But even I know when and where to relax. To me, now is a perfect time to take a breather. So for the next couple of minutes, I don't want to hear any word about work. No Ghost case, so files, no nothing. Just leisure and…," Ushio smirked as he pulled something out from the pocket of his uniform jacket. It was a perfectly secured bundle inside of a brown paper bag. "…Since you'll be joining me tonight Mikage-san, you're in luck because you'll be here to help me enjoy my treat." Ushio added delightedly.

"Your treat? I'm curious, what is that you have there exactly?" Mikage inquired, eyeing the papered bundle inquiringly.

The smirk on Ushio's face widened. "Something to get us in a relaxing mood." He said. Slipping his hand inside of the bag, Ushio fished out a miniature rectangular-shaped package containing four plastic cups of a yellowish substance which Mikage made out as pudding.

"Is that…a pudding cup?" Mikage asked.

"Yes. I bought it from the grocery store on the way back here," Ushio said as he practically tore open the parcel, taking one of the small cups of pudding for himself before turning to offer Mikage one of them, "I hope you like Vanilla Pudding too."

Mikage accepted the pudding cup politely yet she eyed its gooey yellowish contents with a look of skepticism. "I don't know. I'm not really a fan of sweet foods including pudding." She said.

"Have you ever tried pudding?" Ushio asked.

"No. Not really." Mikage replied.

"Well then how would you know that you don't like it unless you've tried it," Ushio said, already eating his pudding with a small plastic spoon, "come on Mikage-san, just one scoop? I'm sure you'll love it. It's really good. Trust me. I eat it all the time whenever I need to relax. Vanilla pudding is comfort food. I just can't get enough of it."

"Really? You like this stuff?" Mikage asked.

"No I love it," Ushio said licking his spoon, "it brings back memories of my childhood. As a young boy growing up in the old New Domino City, I used to eat vanilla pudding all of the time as an afternoon snack. Mainly because my mother used to spoil me with this stuff. Whenever I was a _good boy_ and did my chores whenever she asked me to and always remembered to be polite to my neighbours and things like that, she would always make me vanilla pudding as a reward. I always used to love to watch her make it. It was one of the best moments of my childhood watching dear old mom standing over the kitchen counter mixing me this great big bowl of Vanilla pudding, all for me. Sometimes she would even crush little bits and pieces of chocolate chips and sprinkle them right on top of the pudding. That made it taste even better. I loved my mom's vanilla pudding more than anything, not like this one isn't bad though. It's not my mom's but it's still good."

Smiling lightheartedly, Ushio turned to Mikage only to notice her staring at him, mouth opened agape. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing it's just that…I know we've only known each other shortly but even in the time we've spent together, this is the first time I'm ever heard you mention anything about your past. It's actually very uncharacteristic of you," Mikage pointed out frankly, "you've never told me about your mother or any of your parents for that matter."

"Well I don't really like to make mention about my past to anyone especially to people I don't know and trust," Ushio said, "but whenever I eat vanilla pudding it just makes me reminiscent of the good days of my childhood with my mom. And since I trust Mikage-san more than anyone, I'd be more inclined to tell you more about my life because I'd like for you to know more about that side of me, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. It's actually quite interesting," Mikage said with a small smile, "finally the mysteries of Tetsu Ushio's past have finally been revealed." She added teasingly. "So tell me more about your parents. What about your father? You didn't make mention of him." She asked.

"To be quite frank, I…barely knew my ole man," Ushio answered, a expression of grief suddenly crossing his features, "my mother told me that he left when he found out that she was pregnant with me. Apparently he was more ready to be a husband than a father and he abandoned my mother to take care of me all by herself,"

"Not that I ever complained. There wasn't a day in my life when I ever thought about actually pursuing my father to find out more about him. I just openly accepted the fact that he wasn't man enough to take up his paternal responsibilities," Ushio continued, "it was also then when I decided to become a better man than my father. I told myself that I would become more successful than him so that I would be strong enough to protect my mother. That was the only thing that mattered to me at that point."

"This is the first time I've seen this side of you. It's quite…motivating," Mikage said, "you loved your mother dearly, didn't you?"

"Of course. Even when my father abandoned her to take care of me, never did she ever regret letting him go nor did she ever blame me for what happened between them," Ushio said now smiling to himself, "my mother loved me and every day of our lives she worked hard to protect me and take care of me to make me a stronger man,"

"My mother was an amazing woman. Compassionate, smart, dedicated, hard-working and she was also quite beautiful too," Ushio said, "in fact, in more ways than one, you kind of remind me of my mother Mikage-san. You and her are exactly alike. Both very diligent women. I would have loved for my mother to meet you."

Mikage quirked a brow suspiciously.

"Y'know as my chief," Ushio corrected blushingly, "I'm sure she would have liked you."

"I would have liked to meet her too," Mikage said beaming, "how is she now?"

"…Not good," Ushio said, "She's dead. My mother passed away ten years ago. Long before I even became an officer and joined Sector Security."

"I'm…so sorry," Mikage said apologetically.

"Don't be. Though it is depressing to think about," Ushio uttered unhappily, "one minute she was there, smiling and laughing with me as she always did. Then one day, she leaves to head across town for a few minutes and…never returns."

"What happened to her?" Mikage asked.

"What do you think? The time my mother disappeared was the same time that whole Momentum disaster occurred and tore our city in half," Ushio said, a frown crossing his face, "my mother, as you would suspect by now, was caught in it and as a result, she vanished off the face of the Earth and I never saw her again."

"I'm sorry," Mikage repeated again. '…_I wish I could say more but I can't…those are the only words that would come out of my mouth…_' she thought miserably.

"Y'know…there isn't a day that goes by when I don't think about my mother," Ushio murmured absently, "she was…my world. She meant everything to me and when I found out that she disappeared in the same place where the Satellite used to be I became angry towards the Satellite. I blamed that place for taking my mother away. In my mind, I only kept thinking that if she wasn't in that place at that time, she might have been safe and still be alive to see her proud son become this strong man,"

"That's one of the reasons why I hated the Satellite. I knew it was wrong and I know my mother wouldn't have wanted me to blame the poor people of the Satellite for what had happened to her," Ushio said, "I just miss her so much. That's another reason why I eat Vanilla Pudding. Not only does it relax me but…it also helps me to remember her and the times we shared. That way a part of her is always with me."

"That's beautiful. I'm sure your mother would have been very proud of the man you've become Ushio," Mikage said comfortingly.

"Thanks. I know she would." Ushio said smiling at Mikage. Mikage felt a light blush cross her face at the warm smile plastered across Ushio's face reserved for her but nonetheless she returned the smile sheepishly, still neglectfully playing with her unopened pudding cup. Ushio then sighed as he placed his spoon in his mouth, swallowing the last bit of his pudding. "That was delicious! Now I'm as relaxed as this pudding. I think I'll have another one." Ushio said grinning toothily.

Mikage grinned herself and laughed softly, watching as Ushio removed another cup of the delectable Vanilla pudding. '…_Ushio is truly different from what I thought he was. At first I thought that he was this strict and harsh man who cared more about enforcing the law than doing what seeks the best interest in others but…sitting here, listening to him reveal his past and himself…I can't help but think that maybe this is the real him…the him he often doesn't show due to his duty and…I kind of like this side of him…makes him seem more compassionate_…' Mikage thought humbly, '…_even though he wouldn't openly admit it, it must have taken Ushio a lot of courage to share his past with me. Even though we barely know each other, at least he was kind enough to tell me a little bit more about himself_…'

'…_Maybe…I'm not sure but…should I do the same_…?' Mikage pondered questioningly. The answer came to her as she observed Ushio happily wolfing down his second cup of Vanilla pudding, delight written obviously on his face. Biting her lip nervously at what was about to reveal, Mikage's eyes firmed as she eyed Ushio squarely. "…Um…Ushio?" Mikage murmured.

Ushio peered up curiously from his second cup of pudding, his face frozen with his mouth closing in on his spoon as he was about to take another scoop. "Yes?" he answered with the same inquisitive expression.

"I really appreciate you telling me more about yourself and your past. It shows me that you think of me as more than just your chief and partner and…I like the fact that you want me to know more about you," Mikage said appreciatively, "which is why I've decided to let you know more about me. It's not much compared to yours but…this aspect of my life is considered important to me, in a sense."

Ushio nodded understandably indicating to Mikage to continue. Mikage bit her lip again.

"…Um…you see…"she said slowly, "today is…or _was_…sort of my birthday."

Ushio's eyes widened at the confession. "Really? Well that's nice," he said cracking a smile, "how old are you?"

"Twenty-six." Mikage replied blushing derisorily.

"That's good. One year older, one year wiser," Ushio quoted good-naturedly, "but…why wait to tell me now? If I had known earlier that today was your birthday I would have ran out and gotten you a present."

"That wouldn't have been necessary," Mikage said sadly, "besides I'm not one to _treasure_ my birthdays."

"Why not?" Ushio asked.

"What's the point in having a birthday when each year it just tells me the same thing that I'm alone," Mikage answered disappointedly, "ever since I turned eighteen and became independent, all I wanted after I gained employment was to be in a loving relationship with a handsome man that loved me before I turned twenty-one."

"Huh? You wanted…THAT?" Ushio said staring at Mikage incredulously.

"Well yes. I am a woman and what woman wouldn't want a great love-life," Mikage replied straightforwardly, "I too seek romance but…my twenty-first birthday has long past and I still don't have a boyfriend and each passing year after that had just been a reminder of how I fail at love,"

"There was a time when I thought that Atlas-sama would have been the one and I really believed that if I pushed harder and be more useful to him that someday he would finally acknowledge me with loving eyes and tell me that he desires me and only me," Mikage said wishfully.

"…Did it work?" Ushio asked, although he already knew the sad answer.

"What do you think?" Mikage grumbled disappointedly, "Instead of me, he chose that Carly Nagisa girl. A woman he only knew for a few weeks when he's known me for two whole years."

"Maybe Jack wasn't the one for you. Maybe it's meant to be someone else." Ushio said with an easy shrug.

"I know that but…I can't help but feel disappointed," Mikage said despondently, "I _really _liked him Ushio, I really did."

"I know you did," Ushio said, looking at Mikage understandingly.

"Now I'm just doomed to spend the rest of my life alone. So much for a happy birthday." Mikage said sadly.

"Don't say that Mikage-san. You're young and beautiful. You still have many years ahead of you. I'm sure you'll find romance by then," Ushio said reassuringly, "in fact…an eligible guy just might be waiting for you right around the corner." '…_or right infront of you_…'

Despite Ushio's reassurances, Mikage shook her head. "Yeah right. A thing like that seems almost impossible especially at this stage of my life," she said miserably, "ooh what can I do to find a man like that?"

"I dunno…why don't you _wish_ for it?" Ushio suggested.

"What?"

"Wish for it…with the pudding," Ushio said, "when I was a boy there was another trick my mom taught me. She used to tell me that the rich yellow colour of pudding reminded her of gold which to her represented the riches and fortunes that life could bring including love. So she told me that if I ever desired something, I should eat a bowl or cup of Vanilla pudding and before the last scoop is eaten, if I truly believe and made a wish, God would make it come true."

"So I think for what it's worth, you should give it a try." Ushio said smiling encouragingly.

Mikage quirked at brow at the man in disbelief. "And…you honestly expect me to believe that?" she said.

"Just try it. Eat the pudding and make a wish on the last scoop. You might be surprised by what turns up. I'll even try it with you." Ushio said confidently.

"…O…Kay" Mikage said, still uncertain of Ushio's interesting little trick at helping her find romance.

Nonetheless, she slowly peeled the plastic cover from off of her pudding cup, tossing the circular piece of foil in the trash bin nearest her desk before taking a big scoopful of the jiggling yellowish milky pudding and holding it up to her mouth. At the same time, Ushio mimicked her actions and opened up a third pudding cup, holding up his own spoonful as he waited for Mikage to take the first bite.

With a sigh, Mikage closed her eyes as she stuck the spoon and took her first taste of the vanilla pudding. At first the creamy textured taste of the pudding seemed outlandish to her taste buds, having never tasted such a treat in her life.

However Mikage willingly welcomed the strange new taste as she eventually came to realize just how delicious the vanilla pudding was.

With every scoopful that she took, Mikage truthfully fell her tensed body strangely began to feel more relaxed as she herself relished in the creamy vanilla experience, its milky ingredients watering her tongue while its remaining contents made her hungry stomach yearn for more of the zesty dessert.

A smile of sincere satisfaction played at Mikage's lips as she wolfed down every last morsel of the pudding bit by bit and as he observed the young woman eating the pudding, seeing how much enjoyment it brought her, Ushio couldn't help but laugh in amusement. Ultimately, Mikage arrived at the moment of truth. She had reached her last spoonful. As she held the plastic white spoon piled with the remnants of her first vanilla closely to her face, Mikage side-glanced at Ushio who had also arrived at his last scoop.

Together Mikage and Ushio nodded their heads surely as they both closed their eyes and mentally voices their wishes to the celestial entity they prayed would answer their wishes. When either was finished, they both ate their final scoopful simultaneously before leaning back in their chairs, sighing complacently.

"How was it?" Ushio asked, turning his head to Mikage with a knowing smile.

"It was…good, really good," Mikage replied truthfully, with a lick of lips, "now I know why you love it so much."

"So…what did you wish for?" Ushio questioned, now leaning his over the side of his seat with a curious look hinted on his face..

"Oh…I can't tell you," Mikage replied, cheeks shaded rose pink.

"Why not?" Ushio asked.

"Cause it's embarrassing and I don't want you to know." Mikage said.

Of course her simple answer did not satisfy Ushio's overbearing curiosity.

"C'mon Mikage-san, tell me," Ushio pleaded, "if you tell me your wish, I'll tell you mine."

"No. I don't want to." Mikage said.

"Please."

"No."

"PLEASE!"

"…Alright! I wished that I could experience my first kiss with a man who truly cares for me," Mikage blurted out finally, "twenty-six years and I've never been kissed by a boy. Not like it's going to happen and no magical vanilla pudding will ever see to that. No man in his right mind would ever want to kiss me."

"Is that so?" Ushio murmured softly, peering at Mikage's face closely. As Mikage held her head down, her attention predominantly focused on staring at her fingers as she twiddled them absentmindedly, she paid no further attention to Ushio and didn't even notice when he suddenly got up from his seat and crossed the floor towards her. Wordlessly, Ushio leaned down until his face was hovering directly infront of Mikage's. "Mikage-san?" Ushio mouthed slowly. Mikage finally averted her focus and looked into Ushio's eyes. She was a little surprised by their sudden closeness. Their noses were barely an inch from touching. For a brief moment, Ushio stood looking at Mikage's face leaving her confused as to why he was overlooking her in such an odd way that was unlike him. But then, slowly, Ushio tucked his finger underneath Mikage's chin, tilting her face upward. This surprised Mikage even more but by the time she realized what was really going to happen, it was too late. Ushio closely the tiny space between them, leaning in as he pressed his lips to Mikage's in a light kiss.

A series of different emotions flowed through Mikage's at that moment. Confusion? Shock? Irritation, maybe? However amongst those entangled sentiments was one particular feeling that dominated the others. It was a strange yet warm and oddly tingling feeling in the pit of Mikage's chest that made her pounding heart skip several beats.

It was weird yet…wonderful at the same time.

Did she…_like_ being kissed…by **Ushio**?

Did she?

Before Mikage could have found the answer to her own question, Ushio broke their kiss and leaned away. He did not prolong the kiss any further and decided to keep it light however that did not stop him from feeling rather embarrassed about what he had just done. Ushio glanced away sheepishly, his cheeks a deep shade of pink hinted underneath his tanned complexion. He was not the only one blushing.

At that moment, Mikage touched her fingers to his lips.

Realization struck her like lightning.

She had just been kissed. She had lost her first kiss…to Ushio.

With that thought in her head, Mikage herself looked down, refusing to make eye contact with Ushio as she attempted in vain to conceal the deep flush that threatened to envelope her entire face in a dark shade of red. There was a brief silence between the two during which neither uttered a word to each other about the current situation.

Nonetheless, in the end, it was Mikage who was the one to clear her throat and speak first. "Ushio…what…what did you just do?" Mikage murmured sheepishly, voice barely audible.

"Your wish," Ushio answered, still refusing to look at Mikage, "you wanted to be kissed by a man who truly cares about you. In case you haven't noticed, I am a man and…I do care about you a lot so…I thought I'd make it come true."

"I…don't know what to say," Mikag said, "T-Thank you, I guess."

"You're…welcome." Ushio said with a small nod. He then grinned widely. "Well it's getting late. I REALLY should be heading home. Have to put the rest of these pudding cups in the fridge before they spoil." Ushio said laughing nerviously

"Yes and I REALLY should get back to my…work," Mikage said as she hastily returned to her computer, seat back behind her desk

"Right," Ushio said as he walked to the door. "Well…I'll see you in the morning then." Ushio said, waving lightly to Mikage as he opened the door.

"Wait Ushio!" Mikage called, "You…never told me _your_ wish."

"Oh that? I didn't want to wish for the impossible so instead I just wished for something _practical_. Something that I knew I could make happen if I just tried." Ushio said.

"Really? What was it?" Mikage asked curiously.

"I wished that I could make you smile Mikage and it looks like I've done more than that," Ushio replied modestly. He then beamed enthusiastically at Mikage as he gladly told her, "Happy Birthday Mikage-san."

Mikage returned the smile. 'Thank you Ushio." she said gratefully.

"No problem." Ushio said.

"And Ushio, thanks for the _kiss_…and the _pudding_ too!" Mikage added coyly.

Ushio laughed goodheartedly. "Anytime," he said. "Well goodnight." With that said, Ushio gave Mikage another tiny wave as he finally made his exit.

"Night." Mikage answered smiling to Ushio as the door shut behind him. Now she was alone in the night once more.

_10:55PM_

_June 8__th_

…_Click! Click! Clickety Click! Click! Click…! _

Mikage sighed as she returned to her unfinished work. However as her fingers resumed typing at her opened documents, Mikage could not but smile and giggle to herself lightly as her tongue licked at a familiar taste that touched her mouth.  
It was the taste of creamy vanilla pudding. A lingering sentiment that would always remind her of the secret stories and first experiences that she shared with Ushio that night.  
Maybe Ushio had made a point.  
Vanilla pudding was comfort food…something that Mikage knew she would be trying again very soon.

* * *

**Mistress:** Hey guys. I know I said that I wouldn't update until _after_ **June 10th **since it's the day of my final exam. However today I decided to make an exception since today is a _special _occassion. Today is my **birthday**. Yup! _Happy _**19th birthday **to me~Whoop! And what better way to celebrate my birthday with my readers than with a new chapter of **A Recipe For Love and Laughter.** This is actually the first of many updates that I have ready to submit for the month of **June** (my birth month). So let's kick things off with some **Ushio and Mikage **action like I had promised. This couple needs some loving. Hope you guys enjoyed it 8D!

* * *

  
**Please**_ review (it's my _**birthday **:D_). _**Critiques**_ are welcome too._


	9. Heads or Tails

**Chapter Nine:**

"_Heads or Tails"

* * *

_…Carly grumbled exasperatedly as she sluggishly pushed open the door to her apartment. Dragging herself into the kitchen, the young reporter-in-training poured herself a glass of water from the kitchen sink before flopping down on the nearest chair located in the kitchen. With another sigh of frustration, Carly securely propped her working bag with her camera on the kitchen table. Opening a tiny bottle of Aspirin painkillers she had found in the pocket of her working bag, Carly popped two of the pearly white tablets in her mouth before downing the glass of water in one gulp, swallowing the medicine along with it. Hopefully that would help to the ease the migraine that was threatening to pulsate through her head.

Another day, another dollar was the ancient saying that was quoted by anyone who's ever worked an honest day's work in his or her entire lifetime. Fortunately for those souls, they did not have **Henshucho** to deal with as their boss otherwise the saying would have been another day, another horrible moment to be humiliated infront of your peers.

Once again, Carly had managed to screw up finding another so-called 'inside scoop' to satisfy her impatient boss. Don't ask how she managed to do it this time but in a nutshell, it did involve her doing two things. Not only did she receive yet another _speeding ticket_ from an officer of Sector Security but now she also has to ultimately pay for the damage inflicted on her poor car since she missed her chance at a good story and ended up clumsily crashing her beloved vehicle into a nearby lamppost on the highway, where all the passersby could acknowledge her in another epic moment of public humiliation.

Additionally, it also gave Henshucho another opportunity to scold her for her lack of experience as a reporter and also threaten to fire her again.

How many times was that now?

_Five__? Ten? One hundred?_ Carly had lost count.

…Did she also mention that she had failed to bring the coffee that Henshucho had **insisted **that she _fetch_ for him while scouting New Domino City for her story?

That wasn't exactly Carly's fault this time because she _**had**_ managed to bring the man his coffee.

It was just **on** her shirt at the time of her arrival.

How?

Because on her way back to the station (praying to God that the coffee would make up for another one of her shameful losses), an abrupt turn suddenly caused the coffee to spill out of its container and splash all over Carly, staining both the front of her favourite shirt and jeans.

In fact the coffee was the blame behind her brief car crash. At least Carly herself had managed to get out of the situation _unhurt _but did her boss care? Nope. All he cared about was his stupid story and his precious decaf latte, much to Carly's annoyance.

All in all, Carly had had a **bad** day.

…What she needed now was something to liven her spirits and lighten her sulky mood. She needed a _pick me up_ and fortunately for Carly, she knew exactly what she needed at that moment.

Grinning to herself, Carly arose from her seat and made her way over to the kitchen refrigerator.

Why?

…Because hidden behind the walls leading inside the hidden frozen jungle of refrigerated cartons of milk, juices, butters, jams and various other food supplies lay the object of Carly's desire.

…Within the translucent defenses of a plastic container were the remains of an object that was so tempting…so irresistible that it had once brought Carly to her knees, begging its makers to bless her hungering fingers with more of this enticing delight.

The object…was a single slice of cake. But not just any cake.

_**Schwazawälder Kirchtorte**_.

_Black Forest Cake_.

…Luscious layers of rich brown chocolate cake blanketed in a fluffy white coating of velvety whipped cream. All topped with sprinkles of chocolate shavings festooning the centre of the baked masterpiece while mountains of sweetened maraschino cherries towered at its corners, completely surrounding its circumference.

…The cake had been presented as a surprise to Carly for her nineteenth birthday when her loving parents had visited her to join her in her celebrations along with her closest friends.

Being the artistic pastry chefs that they were, her mother and father had both collaborated and prepared the Black Forest Cake especially for their precious daughter, knowing just how much she enjoyed such a dessert.

…And boy did Carly enjoy that cake.

In less than a week, her precious cake had been diminished to a small lonely slice awaiting its demise by Carly's smacking lips.

Now all Carly wanted to do was to eat her cake and allow its chocolate contents to melt away her daily stresses and take her to a place where not even the annoying yapping voice of Henshucho could disturb her.

"Come to mama!" Carly mouthed, rubbing her hands together enthusiastically.

Opening the fridge door, Carly perkily inspected the top compartment pushing aside an unfinished bowl of left over Chinese Takeout from the previous night and an almost emptied bottle of cold tomato juice in hopes of finding her hidden treat.

She had been expecting to find her treat positioned exactly where she had left it that very morning however to Carly's despair; her beloved chocolate cake was nowhere to be found.

Thinking that she had mistaken the whereabouts of her dessert, Carly decided to check the remaining compartments in the fridge.

_Nothing._

She even checked the freezer compartment but the most she found were the multiple stalagmites and stalactites overtaking the freezer door and a tub of _Vanilla _ice-cream she had neglected to open.

Still no traces of her cake.

Slamming the freezer door shut, Carly leaned against the fridge contemplating on where her cake could have gone.

It's not like it suddenly sprouted legs and ran away, right?

"I don't understand? Where could my cake be? I know I left it inside here this morning before I left for work," Carly said, "unless…"

There was only one person in the house that could have been the prime suspect of cake's sudden disappearance and Carly knew exactly who the culprit was. In fact, she knew the culprit quite well.

It was _**Jack**_.

Since the reconstruction of New Domino City including the completion of the Daedalus Bridge and the beginning of the World Riding Grand Prix, during that period the connection between Carly and Jack had taken a positive change evolving from a simple boy and girl friendship into a committed loving relationship.

Though unbeknownst to anyone else but their closest friends, the two were now officially a _couple_ (much to Carly's happiness) and to make the arrangement even more prominent, they had even decided to live together, with Jack moving in with Carly, though he still visits his fellow duelists occasionally across town.

Carly found Jack lounging in the living-room. The golden blonde duelist was sprawled out lazily on the couch, wearing nothing but a black vest that clung tightly to his muscular chest with a pair of grey boxer shorts. His feet were cocked up on the foot rest while his head was resting comfortably on a pillow that had been personally handmade for him by Carly herself. At first, Carly had thought he was watching TV because the television was on, voices of the news reporters on screen barely audible. However upon closer inspection, Carly realized that Jack was actually asleep. His eyes were closed as he slept quietly with his hand resting on his stomach which heaved with every breath he took. There was even a small indication of drool which dribbled at the corners of his mouth though Jack sluggishly wiped it away as he snorted and turned in his sleep.

Carly couldn't help but smile at this sight. She was almost tempted to take a picture with her camera but she decided otherwise.

"Jack," Carly called, lightly touching Jack's shoulder. At the sudden touch and the sound of his girlfriend's voice, Jack stirred in his sleep and his eyes blinked open as her looked up from his pillow. When he noticed Carly leaning over him, grinning softly, the blonde returned the smile.

"Hey Carly, when did you get back?' Jack asked with a yawn.

"Just a minute ago." Carly replied.

"How was work?" Jack asked. Sitting up, he pushed back his pillow and moved to the other side of the couch to offer Carly some room to sit.

"Crappy as always," Carly replied with a snort as she took her seat beside Jack. She leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder as he draped his arm around her, massaging her arm sympathetically.

"But that's not the point," Carly said. She turned her head to Jack, eyeing him suspiciously. "Jack did you happen to see that slice of Black Forest cake that I left in the fridge?" Carly questioned.

"You mean that big slice of chocolate cake with the whip cream and cherries?' Jack asked.

"Yes! Yes! That's it! Where is it?" Carly inquired eagerly.

"Oh it's right here." Jack said. He indicated to the small coffee table infront of the couch. On top of it, underneath a plastic cover was Carly's cake on a China plate. Carly mentally sighed in relief, glad that her cake was still there.

"I was just about to settle down to enjoy it," Jack explained, "but I guess I dozed off before I got a chance."

"Enjoy it?" Carly looked at Jack incredulously causing him to look at her confused. Jack! That's _**my **_cake!" Carly griped, "You can't have it!"

Jack quirked a brow. "Well that's mighty selfish of you," he muttered, "mind you; you're not the only one in this apartment who likes cake."

"Yeah but I **am** the only one in this apartment who has a _crappy_ job," Carly argued, "I bust my hump to be a reporter everyday Jack while all you do you is just laze around on the couch all day. Today's work just sucked. Now I can really use a pick-me-up and that cake can do the trick."

"Wait! Wait! For your information, you're not the only one who has a hard job. I'm a Turbo duelist competing in the Grand Prix for Pete's sake! I bust my arse against powerful duelists everyday while riding on a _**speeding**_ Duel Runner," Jack retorted, "I also get exhausted sometimes because of my job and if anyone deserves a pick-me-up, it's me."

Carly frowned. Obviously she ignored Jack's statement as she uncovered the cake and held it in her grasps, a fork brandished between her fingers as she prepared herself to devour the dessert. But before Carly could have plunged the fork into the cake slice, she was interrupted by Jack who was eyeing the cake keenly.

"I have an idea. Why don't we just share the cake? There's enough of it for both of us. What do you say Carly?" Jack suggested with a smile.

"Share? With **you**? No way!" Carly replied, shaking her head.

"Why not? What's wrong with sharing with me?" Jack said.

"What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong," Carly said, "every time you and I share something _especially_ if it's **food**, you always take the bigger half of whatever it is leaving me with nothing. Sheesh! Talk about _**greedy**_."

"Me? Greedy? You're one to talk," Jack said, "the only reason I tend to take the bigger half of things is because when I ask you to share it equally, you always give me the tiniest bit of it while you keep the rest all to yourself. Seriously Carly, you're like Miss Pacman, eating everything in sight and leaving nothing for poor little Jack."

Carly's jaw dropped. "That's so not true!" She shrieked, pouting at the comparison to a video-game character. She then relaxed as she placed the cake between her and Jack. Both of them were eying it suggestively. "Obviously, this sharing thing isn't going to work out between us." Carly pointed out.

"Correct. Both of us want the same thing but only one of us can have it." Jack said in agreement.

"How do you propose we settle this problem?" Carly inquired the blonde, folding her arms firmly.

"I say we flip a coin," Jack suggested as he pulled out a random coin from between the couch cushions, "whosever side the coin lands on gets the cake all to themselves. Sounds good to you?"

"Fine. You're on Jack," Carly said, "I hope you don't cry and drool over yourself while you're watching me eat this scrumptious chocolate cake by myself."

"Likewise," Jack said, smirking as he held up the coin to Carly, "now pick a side. Heads or Tails?"

"Hmm I choose…lucky tails." Carly said flippantly.

"Oh so you decided to go with the donkey's arse instead of its front. Wise choice." Jack stated wryly.

Carly frowned. "Just flip the coin," she said, "everyone knows that Tails is the luckier side of the coin"

Jack shrugged as he tossed the coin upward, watching closely as it flew up high above him, turning bit by bit as it alternated between its two sides in midair before making its slow decent.

Before the coin could have hit the ground, Jack caught it back skillfully in his grasp before slapping it onto his right arm covering it with his left hand. Carly watched Jack eagerly; her facial expression anxious to know which side of the coin was victorious. Slowly, Jack removed his hand from over the coin and peered down at his surface. A grin played at his lips as he glanced at Carly.

"It appears that Tails isn't so lucky. It's Heads." Jack declared triumphantly, holding the coin up to Carly's face. Carly could not believe her eyes. Certainly enough, the coin had landed on the "heads" side revealing the molded imprint of a person's head on the front surface.

"What? No! That's impossible. I demand a re-toss." Carly complained.

Jack shook his head, chuckling softly. "Nope. The coin landed directly on Heads. You saw it yourself. Looks like I've won this cake fair and square," he stated, "hard luck Carly. Better chance next time…or not."

"But…But…But…" Carly stuttered speechlessly.

In a rather cartoonish manner, she outstretched her hands towards the slice of Black Forest cake abandoned on the couch, her fingers clawing animatedly to grasp it for herself.

However before Carly could barely touch the plate, Jack pulled it away from her grinning widely. Carly glowered at him disappointedly, pouting her lower lip like a little child denied of her favourite plaything. Jack merely guffawed at the look on his girlfriend's face, retorting in the same childish manner by sticking his tongue out at her.

Carly continued to glare daggers at Jack but her anger slowly subsided to pained jealously as she watched him hold the cake up to his nose, inhaling deeply as the smell of molten chocolate combined with the zest of whip cream and cherries touched his nostrils.

But despite her fury, Carly knew that there was nothing she could do but watch…watch dejectedly as Jack plunged the silver fork into the very heart of the cake, its sharp, pointed edges piercing through its layers of chocolate as he scooped a chunk of it into his open mouth. The golden-haired duelist moaned in satisfaction as the cake melted on his tongue, exciting his hungered taste buds all the while making poor Carly's mouth water hungrily.

"Mmm simply delicious," Jack commented, licking his chocolate-stained lips. He then turned to Carly, smiling at her humorously. "You were right Carly. This cake is just heavenly. The chocolate icing practically melts in your mouth. I'm going to savour each taste," Jack said teasingly.

Carly merely harrumphed at his snide remark, turning away from him.

"What's this? Do I detect anger?" Jack said, his tone mocking, "If I must remind you Carly, this was _**your**_ idea to not share. I, on the other hand, would have been more generous as a matter of fact I would have loved to include you in this _mouthwatering_ moment. Oh wait. I just remember. You didn't want to share it with me so boo you,"

"Stop teasing me Jack! You're so _**mean**_." Carly groused, glancing back at Jack only to leer at him furiously. Jack only rolled his eyes at Carly. Now she was really behaving immaturely.

"And you my dear are gullible," Jack remarked calmly, "now quit your moping. Here!"

Jack poked Carly lightly with his fork and when the young girl looked around, she saw that he was holding the plate up to her willingly, a divided chunk of the Black Forest cake placed on one side for her while Jack's was on the other side.

"What's this?" Carly asked, puzzled by the sudden gesture.

"Your half of the cake," Jack replied, fingering Carly's piece closer to the edge of the plate so she could take it, "you didn't really think that I wasn't going to share it with you, right? What kind of boyfriend would I be if I were to deny my girlfriend of such a delectable dessert?"

Carly's expression suddenly changed and her angered pout was replaced by a giant happy smile, her eyes gleaming bright as she gazed at Jack lovingly.

"Ooh Jack. Thank you," Carly said as she cheerfully accepted her piece of cake. "But wait, I think you divided it wrong. My half seems a lot bigger than yours." Carly pointed out indicating to the differences in sizes between her piece of cake and Jack's.

"I know. Just because I was raised in the Satellite doesn't mean I don't know how to properly divide something," Jack implied sarcastically, "I just decided to give you the bigger half."

"But…why? I thought you wanted the larger side." Carly said.

"I did but then I decided to give it to you instead. After all, you deserve it more than I do since you work so hard." Jack said, flashing Carly a warm smile. Carly's cheeks reddened as she looked at Jack in surprise.

He had considered her feelings over his own and that truly touched her. Beaming gratefully, Carly reached out her hand and gently touched Jack's face, looking at him pleasantly.

"Aw Jack. That's the _sweetest _thing you've ever done for me. Y'know apart from all the other important sweet things that you've done like saving me and stuff like that," Carly said sheepishly, "what I really mean to say is thank you very much,"

"I know and you're welcome," Jack said, caressing the hand Carly had to his face, making her blush deepen. He then released her hand and allowed her to have her cake while he returned to finishing his own.

"See, even I can be giving from time to time and consider the feelings of others other than my own. And Crow had the gall to say that I'm self-centered," Jack mumbled conceitedly, "I'm not self-centered, right Carly?"

He looked to Carly for her opinion but she paid him not attention. She was preoccupied with eating her cake.

"Carly? Hey are you listening to me anymore?" Jack said.

Again, Carly didn't respond. All she did was hold her hands to her cheeks, face blushingly happily as she devoured the last bit of her cake in her mouth, savouring its luscious flavor. "This is sooo good! I love this cake!" Carly commented joyously.

Jack snorted. '…_I should have given my speech before I let her have her cake_…' He thought.

Swallowing the last of her cake, Carly leaned back on the couch with a contented sigh, licking off the remaining stains of chocolate and whip cream from her finger tips.

"Satisfied now?" Jack asked her.

"Not even the least bit," Carly replied honestly, "I have got to buy another one of those cakes the never time I stop by my parents' bakery store. I'll be sure to give my compliments to the excellent bakers,"

"But you know what Jack? Even though I've eat my whole half, I still want more," Carly admitted, "Gosh I feel so greedy yet hungry at the same time,"

"Well if it makes you feel any better I still have some of my cake left. You can have it if you like," Jack said, showing Carly the remaining chunks of his cake still left on the plate. Carly nodded thankfully, holding out her hand for Jack to give the plate to her. But he never placed it in her hand. He just sat looking at her with a mischievous smirk plastered across his face. "But on one condition though," Was the additional note he made to his previous offer, as Carly had anticipated knowingly, "you have to give me a kiss."

"What? Are you kidding?" Carly said.

"No I think I deserve it, don't I?" Jack implied, "After all, it's not every day that I can be this generous so…I should get some compensation for my kind act, right?"

"I don't know. Let's leave that to chance, shall we?" Carly said with a mischievous smirk of her own. She held up the coin that Jack had used in their previous coin toss which was left on the coffee table. "Should I give Jack a big fat kiss for being so nice as to give me the bigger piece of cake and then offer me the rest of his?" Carly pondered, glancing between the coin and Jack trickily, "Heads or Tails?"

"I'll stick with Heads." Jack answered confidently.

Nodding, Carly tossed the coin. When it returned to her palm from the drop, the girl imitated Jack and slapped it on her right arm while her left covered it secretively from Jack. And when Carly peered down at the side that was displayed underneath her palm, she was almost surprised by the results.

"It's Heads," Carly said, "huh, seems like I'll have to give you your kiss after all."

Jack only smirked, motioning for Carly to come closer with his index finger. Carly rolled her eyes but nonetheless, she leaned forward until she and Jack were both nose to nose.

"You're lucky I want that cake," Carly whispered. As she was about to grant Jack his desired smooch, the raven-haired reporter-in-training noticed something peculiar about the coin Jack had used. Carly twiddled the coin between her fingers, investigating each side closely and that's when she made a startling discovery. "Hold on. Jack, this is a **double-sided** coin," Carly said, showing Jack both sides of the coin which was exactly the same, "both sides are Heads." Carly then frowned at Jack who smiled guiltily. "You tricked me!"

"Now I wouldn't exactly call it _trick_. More like playing the game in _**my **_favour," Jack said with a casual shrug, "so what?"

"So what? You **swindled** me; that's what," Carly grumbled tersely, "you swindled me out of both a cake _**and**_ a kiss. I don't know whether to really kiss you or just tap you upside the head."

"Well, why don't we leave that to chance? Tails, you tap me. Heads you kiss me." Jack said as he swiftly snatched the trick coin from Carly's grasp. Before the girl could've even complained, he had already flipped the coin and now held up the victorious Heads side playfully. "What do you know, looks like chance is on my side today. Lucky me." Jack said with a smirk.

As for Carly, she only sighed at Jack's antics. But then she starting giggling, finding his method to be quite…_**cute**_, in a way.

As Jack overlooked her laughing face confusedly, Carly only cupped his handsome face in her hands as she leaned in closer.

"Oh come here you." Carly said smiling as she finally closed the gap between her and Jack, granting him his wish as the couple shared a playful kiss.

…**One** kiss wouldn't hurt, right?

Besides now Carly finally understood the meaning of _having your __**cake**__ and eating it too_…

* * *

**Mistress:** Mmm nothing but a _scoop_ of **Retribution-shipping **to brighten someone's day. I know alot of you **Jack/Carly **fans have been asking for it so here it is. Hope you enjoyed it. Expect another one in the next update. Also, I'd like to make a special announcement to you guys. Did you dudes know that last week Friday, the _11th of June _would mark the one year anniversary since "**A Recipe For Love and Laughter**"was firstly submitted to on the very same day of last year.  
**  
HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVERYBODY!**

It's strange. When I had first written and submitted this fanfic, never had I expected that it would be so successful. In one year's time, this one story had gained **10,000+** _Hits_, **2 **_C2s_, **48 **_Favs_ and **28 **_Alerts_ :D That's the most that I have gained for all the fanfics that I have here. I'm really proud of how well this story is going so far and do you know who I have to thank for all this? You guys! My readers :D Thank you, thank you all so much for your generous support =D I couldn't have reached this far without all of your insightful comments and advice! They really helped me out a you guys cheering me on through your reviews, I was able to continue this one story.  
My goal for the remainder of this year until the next anniversary is to try and reach **100+**_ reviews _with this story. That's my goal! WHOOP!  
But, of course...I can't do it without you guys. So please continue to post in your reviews cause they honestly mean alot to me =D.  
I admit, I was a tad disappointed with how much reviews the Mikage/Ushio story received but...nonetheless, hopefully the Jack/Carly chapters will bring it up a notch. C'mon guys! **100** _reviews_! That's the ticket!  
And for whoever is the first to be my **_90th_** and **_100th_** reviewers, I'll reward you a **special**_ prize_. Want to know what it'll be? Well I guess you'll have to keep reviewing to see =3 I'll be looking forward to seeing your reviews especially now that my exams are over! Yay! Let my summer begin! Hope you guys are enjoying your summer vacations too. Until next time :D

~Mistress

**P.S: No** reviews = **No**more updates. The **longer** you take to review= the **longer** I take to update because I will be waiting **patiently** for your reviews before I update. The **more** reviews I receive =the **more** I will update because _reviews_ are **love**.  
Remember 100 review goal :) and special prizes for 90th and 100th reviewers!  


* * *

_**Please** review (Will give you a HUGE slice of Black Forest cake if you do 8D). **Critiques **are welcome too._


	10. An Imperfect Proposal

**Chapter Ten:  
**"_An Imperfect Proposal"_

* * *

…Marriage.  
It is the dream that is desired by many young girls and women in this day and age.

Even though it may not seem significant to some girls at the moment, especially those aspiring to seek the professions they want to achieve, nonetheless, at some point in a girl's life…

…Whether she was a little girl parading through her bedroom wearing nothing but her Barbie patterned bedspread flowing down her body with her pillow case tied her head pretending either was her lovely wedding dress and veil as she sauntered down her imaginary isle to meet her fantasy groom at the altar infront of an audience of her favourite dolls, teddy bears and other stuffed animals…

…Whether she was a teenager in high school on a date with the boy of her dreams, probably the Captain of the school's Football Team who would smile at her charmingly while she herself gazed back deeply into his perfect eyes, the sound of wedding bells chiming in her head…

…Or even whether she was a young woman as a bride's maid at her third cousin's wedding, hastily running to be the lucky girl to catch the bouquet because all women know the myth behind the girl who catches the bouquet next…

…Regardless of the age…regardless of the time and place, the thought of marriage has always crossed the minds of many girls and women at some point in their daily lives. And within the uncharted walls of a girl's mind, her wildest imaginations would become a reality, causing her to envision many things.

…She would envision her wedding day. One of the happiest moments of her life and a day that would change her life for the rest of her living days on God's beautiful Earth.

…She would envision a cathedral filled with polished wooden seats occupied by her friends, family and closest relatives, all dressed in clothes of pastel colours and each crying tears of happiness of that day's event as their observing eyes were focused on her and only her as she made her debut and began walking down the aisle…

…She would envision the beautiful flamboyant white wedding dress. The wedding dress that was designed especially for her in collaboration with the finest makeup, jewelry accessories and hairstyling that money could buy. The wedding dress that she would wear proudly and flaunt flawlessly down the aisle…

…She would envision the delicious food and beverages that would be catered at her wedding by the most professional chefs known throughout the city. This would include the wedding cake which, in her mind, would be a majestic work of art in snowy white icing and vanilla frosting that would tower even over the huge stack of wedding gifts courtesy of her family and friends. And over tall glasses of champagne, everyone would toast the newlyweds and wish them a lifetime of happiness and success…

But more importantly. A girl would envision her groom. The man that she loved more than herself. Her future husband. Her Prince Charming who would sweep her off of her feet and whisk her off to their enchanted castle in the heavens where they would live happily ever after.

…Or something to that exact.

Yes. All girls dream of the day she would get married to Mr. Right.

…The only guy who can truly make her happy.

The only guy who alone would not only be the one to make all of her dreams come true but also the only one who loved her just as much as she loved him. The only one who would cherish her existence and protect her forever as they journeyed together on the never-ending road of true love.

But sometimes Mr. Right is hard to find amongst the many men in the endless sea of romance. The majority of girls have failed to find him. Some have kissed a lot of frogs in their love life and have yet to find their Prince whereas others, who were more fortunate, had found their Prince but ultimately came to the realization that both they and their Prince did not share the same views especially where the issue of marriage was concerned.

And all females, young and old, know very well that you've definitely arrived at a dead end in your relationship when your so-called Prince…your so-called Mr. Right suddenly turns to you one day after a lifetime of presumed love and says…

'…**Marriage**_? I don't know. To me, the whole big wedding thing is just a waste of time and money. I mean why spend so much just so you could spend a few minutes walking down some aisle in a dress you're definitely never going to wear again and then sip cocktails and eat crab cakes afterwards…?'_

'…_If you ask me, the whole concept of _**marriage**_ is just a _**waste of time**_ and I really _**don't**_ think I ever want to do it_…'

Among those lines, those would probably be the last words said by any boyfriend before their girlfriend, turned ex, decided to immediately break up and discontinue their futureless relationship.

…Because a relationship without a future is a relationship not worth the effort.

Unfortunately for Carly those were the exact words said to her by Jack, her boyfriend of approximately three years, when she foolishly brought up the topic of marriage over dinner two nights aback. His answer had shocked Carly and left her speechless to continue the conversation.

Carly had to admit. Like any girl, she thought of Jack as being the one and only guy for her. She was guilty of having many visions where she fantasized about a future which the two would spend together with a family and a beautiful house with a nice backyard where their perfect imaginary children could play endlessly with their imaginary pet dog named Fluffy.

She had envisioned them to be the _perfect dueling couple_.

Now in the beginning Carly didn't believe that she had a chance with a guy like Jack. Who wouldn't? He was Jack **Atlas**. _The_ **Jack Atlas**-Second to wear the crown of King of Games after dethroning Jin Himuro in the past and now presently one of the reigning champion Turbo Duelists of the infamous Team 5Ds who dominated the World Riding Grand Prix and brought his team to victory. Seriously, Jack was a _renowned_ dueling **icon** whereas Carly was…well…a reporter.

In the past three years, Carly had evolved from an inexperienced reporter-in-training to a fully qualified and certified star reporter. Okay, so she wasn't exactly a **star **reporter as yet but she was getting there and at least she wasn't a rookie anymore. Though she still worked for Henshucho, the only newspaper editor who would hire her in New Domino City, and he still treated her like a rookie. Luckily for Carly, Henshucho found a new replacement to fetch his coffee for him. A young male intern who, like Carly, had come to him seeking the opportunity to become a star reporter. Carly mentally wished him luck. Never in Carly's dreams did she expect Jack to choose _**her**_ of all people over the **millions **of eligible females who wanted him so _badly_.

In the eyes of others Carly seemed like a _mismatch_ for Jack. Never in her right mind did Carly expect **Jack** to ask _her_ out on a date nor did she expect him to ask her out on a _second_, _third_ and **fourth** date. She didn't expect them to start going out as an _official_ **couple** nor did she expect them to take their relationship to a new level and **live** together.

The past three years since she and Jack became boyfriend and girlfriend have been the **best** years of Carly's life and…she was praying to have taken their relationship even further and actually considered marriage being a one hundred percent possibility. They had lived together for THREE successful years so obviously they knew each others' likes and dislikes. They had learned to share a lot of things with each other like the television, the bathroom, the toilet and more importantly the bed. Being a couple, they slept in the same room and obviously shared the same bed. In the last three years, they had become accustomed to each other's company particularly in that area, either learning to accept each other's bedroom habits such as who sleeps on which side of the bed (Carly on the right, Jack on the left and the two meet in the middle for cuddling time), who talks in their sleep (Carly) and who snores the most in their sleep (Carly).

They had even made it pass all three bases including **third**. An experience that had been the _highlight_ of their relationship more for Carly than Jack.

Honestly the two had been through so much together in last THREE years so…what was stopping Jack from just putting a ring on it? _Technically,_ according to Carly's observations, they were already _husband_ and _wife_…just without the rings and wedding pictures to show proof of it.

…And despite the fact that there were some _**doubts**_ that their relationship wouldn't last (mostly from Jack's jealous-minded fan girls including the Stephanie girl from the coffee shop Jack liked), but nonetheless Carly had proved them wrong and the couple continued to go strong passing _**three**_ anniversaries already.

This revelation made Carly ecstatic. She knew that she and Jack had arrived at a point in their relationship where marriage was definitely the next option to take and she was _confident_ that Jack felt the same way.

Unfortunately for Carly, Jack had proved her wrong.

To think that the two lovers had come so far in their relationship only for it to reach a **dead-end**. It was _sad_. To hear Jack utter such cruel words and to be fully aware that their relationship didn't have a future even at _that_ point frustrated Carly and brought her to a period of grief and anger and such disappointment was clearly hinted on her face as she eyed Jack indignantly from across the table. The two were seated at a window table at one of the finest gourmet restaurants in New Domino City. The name of the restaurant was unpronounceable, at least to Carly because it was illustrated in an outlandish French lettering that Carly couldn't decipher even if she tried reading it with her glasses on.

Even though Carly had asked that the two just stay home that night, Jack had bluntly **insisted** that they went out _that _night to _that _particular restaurant. In truth, he practically bathed and dressed Carly himself as he eagerly dragged her downtown to that one place. Now Carly sat quietly, her fingers absentmindedly playing with the pair of flower-shaped salt and pepper shakers decorating the dinner table as she and Jack awaited their first meal, an order that Jack had made _privately_ with one of the waters serving them, leaving Carly suspicious of that night's events.

She was wearing the same elegant strapless scarlet red dress she had worn the night she had invited Jack to her first dinner party. It was a dress that was mostly favoured by Jack since he had also insisted that she wore that specific dress that night. Although she had sported the dress beautifully at the dinner party the first time she wore it, this time Carly didn't even bother to doll up herself with all the fancy accessories and what not and kept everything simple with her hair left out, flowing down her back in straight lines and she barely wore any makeup, finding herself too **upset** to pretty herself up like she usually did for their dates. As for Jack, he wore the same overly flashy chicken suit he had worn to the opening party of the World Riding Grand Prix, a suit which brought him the admiring gazes and excited whispers from the other couples seated at the restaurant especially the women who all sent him flirtatious looks and winks from their tables. Their actions only added to Carly's heated impatience.

Nonetheless, Jack only ignored those girls as he turned to Carly. He smiled at her adorably reaching out to take her hand in his. Carly flinched at the contact.

"You look beautiful tonight Carly," Jack said complementing her features with a grin.

Carly mentally scoffed. "I should. _You_ picked out my dress," she replied smugly.

"Why? Don't you like it? I picked out that dress because I know you look beautiful in it and it seems like my choice was correct," Jack said proudly.

"Right. As if I don't look beautiful in all the other dresses I own except this one," Carly said coldly.

"No that's not what I meant Carly. You look beautiful in anything you wear. I just find this dress really brings out your beauty, that's all," Jack said defensively.

"Right." Carly murmured crossly, pulling her hand out of Jack's and crossing her arms.

"Are you mad at me or something?" Jack asked looking at Carly worriedly, "Because you seem angry."

"Oh so you've finally noticed. Excellent deduction Sherlock." Carly said, a harsh laugh rolling off her tongue.

This time, Jack was the one who frowned. "I don't understand. I don't remember doing you anything bad, did I?" he said.

"It's not about what you did. It's about you what you _said_," Carly grumbled snappily, "particularly two nights aback."

"Two nights back. What did I say then?" Jack questioned confusedly.

"You know very well what you said but if you want a reminder, it's the statement you made about marriage," Carly said. Carly's eyes then saddened as she looked at Jack unhappily. "Jack, we've known each for a year and we've been dating for almost two years. So if you add that up, that's almost three years we've been a couple Jack," she said, "therefore I need to know, is this how our relationship is going to continue? Am I just going to continue to be seen as just the woman you're currently dating? Because if that's the case then maybe we should just end it right now before it goes any further."

Jack gawked at Carly, disbelief written across his face at her words. "What? I don't understand. Carly what are you saying?" Jack said, hoping that she was not about to say what he thought she was going to say.

"What I'm saying is that I want to be a relationship that has a _promising_ future," Carly replied seriously, "does our relationship have a future Jack? Do you see me as the cheesy girl that you just want to keep around until one day you grow tired off me and just decide to throw me away like a piece of garbage? Or…do you see me as the woman you love dearly and want to spend the rest of your life with? Tell me the honest truth Jack because if it's what I think it is then…I think it would be best if we stopped seeing each other."

"What? **Break up**!" Jack shook his head vigorously as he looked at Carly beseechingly. "No Carly, that's not what I…"

But before Jack could have finished making his statement, he was interrupted by the waiter who had returned with their entrées on a silver platter. The entrees comprised of only two small tarts, each layered in a single veneer of creamy vanilla custard which masked the hidden assortment of sweetened fruit baked into the small delight. The waiter was a tall young man with shortly trimmed reddish brown hair and baby blue eyes which sparkled gleefully as he served Jack and Carly each one of the tarts on a small plate.

"Dinner is served," the waiter announced spritely, handing Jack and Carly each a silver dessert spoon to enjoy their tart with.

"Tarts? I waited that long for _tarts_? What happened to dinner? Shouldn't dessert be served after dinner?" Carly commented sourly, eyeing the small tart propped on her plate strangely.

"Yes, normally we do serve our meals before our desserts but the gentlemen you're with insisted that we served you these desserts first," said the waiter as he gestured a gloved hand to a guilty-looking Jack.

"Is that so," Carly said looking at Jack squarely. She then turned to the waiter and flashed him a courteous smile. "Thank you for the tarts but…I think I would be taking this to go," Carly said bitterly, "I don't plan on staying here much longer."

"Why? What happened? The evening is just about to start," the waiter remarked in surprise. He then glanced between Jack and Carly, mentally noting how stern Carly appeared while looking at Jack. "Did something happened between you love birds?" the waiter inquired nosily.

"You know what I think I _**will**_ have my treat," Carly stated stubbornly, stabbing her tart with her spoon and taking a mouthful of the dessert. "At least one thing will make this night get better." Carly added dryly with a snide glance at Jack.

"Yes. I'm _definitely_ sensing some tension between you two." the waiter pointed out.

"You have no idea." Jack said exasperatedly. He then attempted to make eye contact with Carly in an attempt to reason with her however she avoided his gaze as she focused all of her attention on wolfing down her tart.

When all else failed, Jack did the only other thing he could have done and slammed his hands down on the table forcibly, startling both the waiter and Carly who finally looked up at him with a bewildered expression.

"Look Carly, I think there's been a huge misunderstanding," Jack spoke calmly, "y'see tonight isn't just one of our usual dinners together. Tonight I was planning to ask you to…"

"Oh my-what is in this thing?" Carly suddenly interrupted with a shriek, poking at something in her mouth and apparently the something had come from the tart.

"Oh I see you've found the _ring_," the waiter said clapping delightedly, "how splendid."

"Ring? What ring?" Carly said confusedly. "This is a strawberry." She said brandishing the crimson-coloured fruit at the tip of her spoon. At the sight of the strawberry, Jack blanched. "Oh no. Was that the strawberry tart _I _ordered?" he asked.

"Yes, it's one of the restaurant's specialties after all," the waiter replied, "strawberry tarts. Ingredients imported straight from the pastures in Paris, France especially the strawberries, if you must know."

"Strawberry! I asked you to bring two tarts! One strawberry for me and one chocolate for her," Jack said.

"What's the difference?" the waiter asked.

"The difference is that my _wife_ is dreadfully **allergic** to strawberries! She breaks out in hives whenever she eats one!" Jack said loudly.

At the explanation, the waiter paled but the only remark that he could make shamefully to account for his mistake at that moment was "Oh dear."

Jack smacked his forehead. Carly on the other hand choked and spat out the strawberry that she had been chewing previously. But it was too late; she had already consumed too much of the gardened fruit. Almost immediately Carly began to feel her body react sensitively to the strawberries as a familiar itchy redness started forming on the surface of her skin.

"Jack…I don't feel so good. I'm starting to itch all over and…I think my tongue is swelling too," Carly said, opening her mouth wide enough for Jack to see her tongue which was slowly starting to swell up.

"Oh no. We've got to get you to the hospital immediately!" Jack said jumping to his feet as he rushed to Carly's side to help her out of her seat.

"CHEQUE NOW!" the blonde boomed at the waiter who was standing beside Jack's chair the whole time looking completely stupefied by the whole predicament.

However at the irritated tone in Jack's voice, the dumbfounded waiter quickly jumped back to his senses at his sudden command before he immediately obeyed him, sprinting off to receive the requested cheque.

* * *

On Jack's Duel Runner, it took him and Carly half the time to arrive at the nearest hospital in New Domino City. It was also fortunate for the couple that, thanks to Jack local popularity and his manly charm, Carly was able to be treated as soon as the two set foot inside of the hospital as all of the young nurses (boys as well as girls) were more than eager to assist _**Jack Atlas**_. Now the couple was stationed at a private hospital ward where Jack observed closely while one of the volunteered nurses finished tending to Carly's ailments.

"Well we've managed to stop your tongue swelling Miss Nagisa but you're going to have to wait for the doctor to prescribe you with some ointment to deal with the hives. He should be with you shortly," the nurse told Carly with a polite smile. Despite the blotched red spots irritating her face, Carly returned the smile relieved to have the inspection over with.

Conversely, Jack stepped forward and outstretched his to the nurse in gratitude. "Thank you." he said smiling rather attractively at the nurse. The nurse flushed lightly at the duelist's handsome face but nonetheless she shook his hand rather timidly. The nurse then bowed out respectfully and exited the room, giving the couple some privacy. As soon as the two were left alone, Jack groaned jadedly as he flopped down beside Carly who was seating on the hospital bed in the ward.

"Well, can this night get any worse?" Jack grumbled aloud. He then looked at Carly, who sat with her face away from him while trying her hardest not to scratch the hives reddening her skin. "How are you feeling?" Jack asked concernedly, stroking Carly's face gently.

"Well the Brightside is that they stopped my tongue from growing bigger than a sausage. If you hadn't rushed me to the hospital fast enough I might have swallowed my own tongue so I'm kinda relieved at that," Carly said, "and despite the huge rash forming on my butt as we speak, all in all I'm fine,"

Jack grinned in relief. "Good. That's great." He said.

"Hey Jack. There's something that happened before that has me…I don't know, confused about tonight's events," Carly said, "back at the restaurant, before I told the waiter that it was a strawberry in my tart, why did he think it was a _ring_? And…before we came to the hospital, when you told the waiter about my strawberry allergy, instead of calling me your girlfriend…you called me your _wife_?"

"Yeah I guess I did." Jack said.

"Okay. Now I'm confused," Carly said, "what's really going on Jack? Why did you _really_ invite me out to dinner tonight?"

"Well if you must know, the real reason I asked you out was because…" Jack paused a moment to pull out a small box from the pocket of his suit jacket. He held the box up to Carly's face and at the sight of the box; Carly gasped knowing what was probably inside of the box. "Tonight…was going to be the night when I...propose to you," Jack explained quietly, "you see, I had asked the waiter beforehand to place the wedding ring inside of your tart dessert. The tart only came in two varieties which were strawberry and chocolate. Obviously I chose the chocolate for you since I know you're allergic to strawberries. Anyways to make a long story short, the waiter mixed up the desserts and gave you my tart instead. Now because of him, we're in this predicament. So much for the _perfect_ proposal."

"Wait…you put an _engagement ring_…in my _**dessert**_?" Carly repeated in shock, still ogling the small box that concealed the key to her future.

"Mind you when I had talked it over with the guys, it seemed like the perfect plan," Jack said "I had told Yusei, Crow and Bruno about my plans to propose to you tonight and they all gave me advice and pointers on how I could've made this evening more special. Yusei and Bruno both agreed that I should take you to dinner at a fancy restaurant and propose to you the old fashioned way. Y'know with me kneeling down on one knee and asking you to marry me infront of everyone there and what not,"

"But then Crow objected and implied that that old trick has been done one too many times during the years," Jack continued, "he said that I should be more _creative_. As if putting the ring in the dessert was _**creative**_. Gosh, why did I listen to that bird brain? This evening could've gone a lot smoother if I hadn't followed his silly advice. What was I thinking?"

"Wait…you were going to propose to me **tonight**!" Carly said incredulously; her jaw now hanging agape in total surprise. "But…what about what you said before about marriage being a waste of time? You mean to say now that all that stuff you said was just…"

"Bullshit, of course," Jack said matter-of-factly, "Carly, what would ever make you believe that I would never want to be married to you? I mean weren't the five thousand times I told you how much I loved you not enough evidence to show how much I cherish our relationship?"

Carly mentally winced, guilt swelling in her chest at the realization at how childish and remotely foolish she had acted back at the restaurant. "I'm sorry but…when you said those words about marriage being a waste of time, I automatically assumed that you didn't want to be with me especially for that long," Carly said openly, "I mean what girl wouldn't think that when her boyfriend of three years blurts that out in her face when she asked him about it. I guess I was too quick to jump to conclusions. _Negative_ conclusions." "I'm sorry." She added apologetically.

"No I'm the one who should be apologizing," Jack said frankly, "you're right. Who wouldn't think that when someone they love degrades the thought of marriage. But what I can assure you Carly is that I'm not one of those people."

"I know you aren't," Carly said, "because you're _Jack_. **My**_ Jack_ and…you love me very much, do you?"

"I do," Jack answered with a small smile, "and you love me very much too because you're **my** _Carly_, right?"

"Of course," Carly said smiling as she touched her forehead to Jack's, "which brings me to the question I really want to ask. Do you…still want to marry me?"

"It depends. Do you still wish to be with me?" Jack asked, "Y'know after all that's happened tonight."

"Jack, when you told me that you didn't want to get married, I was really hurt by what you say," Carly admitted, "you made me feel like I wasn't special or good enough to be with you."

"Oh Carly, when I said that I wasn't being truthful," Jack confessed, "I only said that to lead you off about tonight's engagement. This proposal was supposed to be a surprise for you and I didn't want you suspecting that I was going to propose to you. I wanted to make this moment special. A moment that would be remembered forever. A moment that we could tell our friends and family. A moment that we could probably tell our _kids_ and our _grandchildren_ about when they're old enough to ask us how we really met. That sort of thing."

"You…want to have babies with me?" Carly said, feeling her heart melt at the thought of two conceiving children.

"There are a lot of things I want to do with you Carly, in more ways than one," Jack answered, "I want us to…buy our first house together, get married in a church surrounded by our families and closest friends, have our first honeymoon on a secluded island with the tropical breeze in our hair and a smile on our faces as we make love under the setting sun on the beach and…then after we've settled down and are living happily in our new home, maybe…possibly after another year, we could have a kid or two…if you want."

"Oh man, listen to myself. If the guys heard me talking like this, I wouldn't hear the end of it especially with Crow. He'd be laughing about it until our grandchildren go to Dueling Academy," Jack said laughingly, "but to be fair Carly I have thought a lot about us since the moment I met you and since we've started dating each other, I've realized that there's no one else I want to be with but you,"

"…Of course I _would_ have told you all of this and more in the **perfect** atmosphere back at the restaurant," Jack grumbled tetchily, "but thanks to the waiter, this proposal has been less than perfect."

"…Continue." Carly mouthed softly.

"What?" Jack looked to her in surprise.

"I said _continue_," Carly repeated seriously, "Jack it doesn't matter to me where you propose. I don't care if you do it in a fancy-smancy restaurant with way too much expensive food or in a hospital bedroom two blocks away." Carly placed her hand on Jack's face and locked their gazes as she looked at him squarely. "Just tell me how you feel. Tell me what you really wanted to say to me tonight and say it from your heart." Carly said contentedly.

"Well this is not what I had initially planned but…what my hearts says is this," Jack said as he took Carly's hand in his and held it over to his chest, above his heart. Carly felt her cheeks turn red and she hummed to herself. She could feel every heart beat pulsating through Jack's chest beneath her fingertips. Strangely enough, it almost matched hers.

"Carly, in all my years I have never met a girl like you," Jack said, "I didn't even think it was possible for me to fall in love with someone especially after all the sins I had shamefully committed in the past. I didn't even think that I would have the courage to live again and take responsibility for my actions so I could forgive myself and move on. But you convinced me Carly. You told me that I should forget about my past and consider my future. You changed me Carly and there isn't a day I regretted listening to your words,"

"In the beginning I didn't want to admit the feelings I had developed for you during the brief time we spent together. I guess I was terrified at how you would react if I had confessed to you," Jack continued, slightly embarrassed by his own words, "but…after what happened with the Dark Signers, I finally acknowledged your importance in my life. I **need **you Carly. You're always there to support me and stand by my side. Even when I was framed you still believed in me and that's what I love about you,"

"This is turning out to be a _longer_ proposal speech than I thought," Jack joked making Carly giggle softly, "I guess what I'm really trying to say is…Carly; I don't want to lose you again. I want you to be by my side forever. My only wish now is that you accept what I'm about to propose to you."

As he concluded, Jack alas opened the small black box. Within it, he revealed the golden-banded diamond encrusted engagement ring he had hidden inside. Despite being stuck inside of tart for several minutes, the ring gleamed like a string of pearls even under the lighting in the hospital ward and its diamonded surface reflected Carly's face as she fought back the urge to cry tears of happiness at the sight of the ring. It was simply _**beautiful**_.

"Carly, tonight you were my girlfriend but for the rest of our lives, will you be my wife?" Jack declared as he slipped the ring onto Carly's finger. Carly stared at her ring cheerfully. It fit her finger flawlessly and she couldn't help but cover her face, cheeks turning redder that they already were at the moment as she laughed coyly.

"It depends. Do you accept me for who I truly am?" Carly asked Jack, "I mean I'm not exactly _**perfect**_ y'know. I'm clumsy, I'm absentminded and I look like a walking pepperoni pizza whenever I swallow a strawberry. I mean do ya really want to shack up with this forever."

Jack chuckled. "You're forgetting that you also talk too much," he added tauntingly. But before Carly could make a smart comeback, Jack placed his fingers to her lips, suddenly leaning in closer so that his lips almost brushed against each other before he reached his head at the side of Carly's head and whispered hotly in her ear. "Carly, I love you as you are so just shut up and say yes." He said.

Carly shivered, the deep romantic tone of his voice sending shivers down her spine. "_Yes_," Carly answered finally, "yes Jack I will marry you."

Grinning triumphantly, Jack whooped as he pulled Carly into a tight embrace. Carly only laughed out loud as she returned the hug.

"Now…how about a kiss for your future husband." Jack whispered to her again.

"Jack my skin." Carly warned.

"Doesn't matter. All I see now is the face of the woman I love and the face that I'll be waking up beside everyday for the rest of my life and that's all that matters right now." Jack said.

"Oh Jack," Carly cooed, smiling broadly, "I love you so much."

"And I love you too, _Mrs. Atlas_." Jack said proudly.

He was rewarded with a pleased smirk from Carly as the two shared a kiss…their first kiss not as boyfriend and girlfriend but as fiancé and fiancée…the future Mr. and Mrs. Atlas.

…

…Yes marriage is a possibility dreamed by many girls. Fortunately for Carly, on the night of _**June 28**__**th**_, her dreams finally came true and she had found her Mr. Right who would take her towards their future together as husband and wife…

…It just goes to show; even an **imperfect proposal** could make a _special_ moment that could last a dozen life times.

* * *

**Mistress:** As promised, right? The more you guys reviewed, the more I updated, right? I'm glad to say that I was very pleased with the amount of reviews that I received for the last chapter. Thank you guys bunches! Since I'm a writer of my word, here's your reward, another helping of **Retribution-shipping **for all my **JackXCarly** fans. I hope you guys were most pleased with this one. Of the two newest _Retribution-shipping _chapters that I've submitted, this one was my favourite to write and I hope that I've made you guys smile with this one :D

As for my fellow **Faithshippers**, don't worry I haven't forgotten you guys. Now that I look back, I've written **more** _Retribution-shipping _chapters than _Faithshipping _O_o Which I really didn't plan to do. It was supposed to be even steven between the two favoured pairings. Whoopsie! Don't worry, the next chapter will be dedicated to **YuAki** and I hope that _all_ of my fans will read this one (including the Retribution-shippers) because the next chapter is going to be like nothing you've read before. But in order for you to see what it is, y'know what you have to do, right? Same principle applies for the next chapter and the chapters beyond.

**No** reviews=**No** more updates. The **longer** you take to review=the **longer** I take to update because I will be waiting _patiently_ for your reviews before I update. The **more** reviews I receive= the **more** I will update because _reviews_ are **love**.  
Also I'll be looking forward to seeing who my **90th** reviewer will be :) Almost there guys. 100 review goal is within my grasp. Keep the reviews coming and I'll keep the new chappies coming too.  
Until my next update (which might be sooner than you think depending on the feedback of reviews).  
~Sayonara peeps.

~Mistress

* * *

**Please**_ review. _**Critiques **_are welcomed too_.


	11. Love Knows No Boundaries

**Chapter Eleven:  
**"_Love Knows No Boundaries"_

* * *

…**Curious** children, young and old, gather round for thou haft a fabled **tale** to tell thee…

A **tale** that is beyond anything that you have ever heard in your entire lifetimes…

Not to be confused with its **fairy** counterpart…

…Those stories that whisk you away to enchanted lands in distant places where young **princesses**, their _beauty_ preserved in sleep, can be awakened by the lips of the valiant men who would risk their own lives for _one moment_ in order to spend an _eternity_ with them,

…Where the **rich **and **prosperous** can fall in _love_ with the **poor** and **decrepit**…

….And where _lonely_ **frogs** can magically transform into _handsome_ **princes** at the touch of a kiss,

…Those _fairy tales_ that merely _sugarcoat _the inevitable ends that may befall any of these fictional characters if their stories were to become a reality…

…However… this, my friends, is **no** mere fairy tale…

There are **no **enchanted landscapes and citadels far, far away for you to explore…**no** pretty princesses beseeching you to be saved from tall towers…**no** Prince Charmings to dazzle you with their perfected beauty and chivalrous courage and **no** fearsome fire-breathing dragons to be tamed…

…For this is a tale of both **good **and **evil**,

…Of both **friendship** and **betrayal**,

…And of both **love** and **hate**…

…For within this story there is a **bond**…an _unbreakable_ **bond **that can withstand anything.

…This is the tale of two unlikely people who just happened to find comfort in each other.

…Set in a **different** _time_…in a **different** _place_…

…I hereby open the pages to this newly written chapter and welcome you all to a totally different tale…

…A tale of a **Witch** and an **Astronomer**…

* * *

Bloodied legs trampled the dampened grounds of the forest outside the small medieval village. The heavy rain pounded profoundly against the earth. At this precise moment a being adorned in a tattered black cloak scampered rapidly from the empty streets of this abandoned town.

The being was a young girl, no older than seventeen years of age. Clutched in her blood-stained fingers was a brown pouch crammed with an assortment of different fruits and vegetables which she had taken the liberty of stealing from the local market in order to quell the hunger rumbling in the pit of her stomach.

The sounds of men and dogs could be heard distantly in the far north of the town. With every voice she heard the cloaked girl ran faster. Despite her seemingly injured conditions she kept running. The pouring rain dampened the hood that shielded the deep burgundy roots of the girl's hair and soaked the visor of hardened clay that masked her face…concealing the scratches and secret scars of what was her disgruntled precedents.

The girl continued running, resisting the temptation to stop and rest her aching legs. She ran until her bleeding feet brought her to a complete dead end. The girl arrived at the edge of a cliff at the end of the forest.

On the opposite side was the path to her freedom. The girl breathed a tiresome breath. If she was even to attempt to jump to the other side she would have met an early grave. Not only was the leap to the other side too strenuous for an average being like herself especially in her current state but at the very bottom of the cliff there was a river whose rampant waters led directly downstream to a giant waterfall. Any way the female took, she would have immediately died in the process. In her current predicament, the girl mentally cursed herself. There was nowhere else for her to run. She was _**trapped**_.

The girl then cocked an ear and…listened. Now the voices of the men could be heard more evidently…much _**closer**_ and the sounds of footsteps reached the ears of the cloaked girl. She gritted her teeth. Her enemies were near. Thorny bushes hissed venomously from behind the back of the cloaked girl. Instantly she clenched her fist and her grasp around the pouch in her clutches tightened as she turned to face her foes.

One by one they came, armed with their weapons of carnage, fully prepared to slaughter her. About twenty more beings dressed in cloaks stepped out from behind the bushes. They were not alone. The cloaked beings were accompanied by a pack of menacingly large dogs. They all stood obediently at their masters' sides, their gruesomely sharp fangs bared and their long noses sniffing the air for the aroma of blood. Devilish black optics peered around the surroundings of the cliff as one of the cloaked beings himself scanned the area.

When he had found what he was searching for, instantly the cloaked being's eyes fell on his target which just happened to be the cloaked girl. The male sneered wickedly at the sight of the girl in her frayed and injured condition. The girl was like easy prey to him.

The girl, on the other hand, glared back into the eyes of the cloaked male and her own russet eyes showed absolutely no fear. The cloaked male took one giant step forward. The ground shook slightly beneath his mighty feet. Still the girl remained intrepid. The man opened his mouth and spoke to the female. He spoke with a slight accent. "Ya think ya so crafty dontcha wench," the man griped scornfully, "ya thought you could actually steal something and actually get away with it or have you forgotten ya place in this town? There is absolutely no place for the _Black Rose Witch_ inside our village."

The cloaked male looked to his protégées. The other cloaked individuals all laughed hysterically as their comrade mocked the poor girl who stood her ground boldly, her bleeding fingers tightly clutching the bag of food.

"Listen here you witch, I'm giving ya ten seconds to hand over that food or else," the man threatened, "and if you knows what's good for ya then you'll heed what I say."

As he spoke, the man snapped his fingers twice. Upon the first snap, the pack of dogs all growled forebodingly as they slowly began advancing towards the girl cowering at the edge of the cliff whereas upon the second snap, the remaining nineteen people immediately assumed the attack position as they all raised their guns and pointed them at the single female.

"So what are ya gonna do witch? Either ya surrender or die, which way will it be?" the man coaxed.

The female smirked from behind her mask. "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to disappoint you on that," the girl said sarcastically, "unlike you, I'm not ready to go out just yet and if I were you, it would be best to turn and run away if you value your lives."

"Is _she_ **threatening** _us_?" another cloaked man spoke up furiously, his fingers playing with the trigger of the gun he had in his possession. He was almost tempted to fire however he stopped when the first man, the leader of the multitude raised his hands to prevent him.

"Fine. If that's the way you want to play, have it your way _Black Rose_," the mob leader growled. He averted his attention to the pack of his dogs in his arsenal. "Attack!" the man shouted.

On their master's command, the dogs sprang forward and bounded toward the girl. The girl merely snorted. "Fools." the girl grunted. With one hand holding onto her food, the girl raised her other hand and with a mere move of her fingers, she commanded the elements and summoned a gust of wind which she used to knock down all of the dogs with one swipe. The cloaked males looked on in awe. They were amazed by how powerful this one female was. The girl then looked up as she blocked an assault from another dog. She then lashed out at the dog that had attempted to attack her. The dog flew backwards and its body collided harshly with the ground where it remained injured and whimpering along with the rest of its canine companions. With a smug glance at the dogs, the girl turned back to the mob. "Is that all that you've got," the girl said tauntingly, "at least give me a _challenge_."

"Oh we'll give you a challenge," the mob leader said, "Fire!"

At the sound of the command, each of the men in the mob started firing at the Black Rose. From underneath her cloak, the eyes of the Black Rose widened as she gaped at the tiny bullets of silver that whizzed towards her.

Using her power, the Black Rose outstretched a shrouded hand and concentrating hard, feeling as the unknown power within her body took control of her form. Suddenly the bullets stopped in midair making the men stare in shock.

The witch sighed in relief as she had managed to prevent the bullets from taking damage on her. The mob men on the other hand were furious that their attack had failed.

One of the men was so livid that he even shot another bullet at the Black Rose and too preoccupied with holding the others in place, she was oblivious to the single bullet that pierced the silent night.

A deafening screech was released from the lips of the Black Rose as she suddenly staggered backwards clutching her left shoulder. Dark crimson liquid stained her shaking fingertips as the girl eyed the blood in her hands. Fearful and furious, the Black Rose turned on the men who all backed away slightly as they acknowledged the rage emanating from her shaken form. Before any one of them had a chance to retreat, the Black Rose cried out angrily as she used her power to manipulate the stray bullets still hovering in midair. She directed the bullets straight back at the men that sent them after her and watched with an almost heartless smirk crossing her lips as the men all screamed loudly at the sudden barrage of bullets. Fortunately, two of the men including its valiant leader had managed to survive the onslaught with only an injury.

However the remaining men were not so fortunate. The bullets had struck them through the heart and like flies in the face of poison, their bodies dropped to the dirt, now lifeless. The two survivors both stared horror-stricken at the sight at their fallen brothers. One of them had even crawled his way over to the nearest fallen member, unable to walk due to the bullet that had punctured his left leg, and the man bit back tears as he mourned at the deadened and expressionless face of his previous comrade, blood spluttering from the hole in his forehead.

"You…you witch! Look what you've done!" the man screamed at the Black Rose, unable to control the resentment burning through his chest. He even attempted to attack the witch by himself but was stopped by his leader who shook his head and reminded him of his injuries. He too glowered fiercely at the witch and gestured a finger at the dead bodies of his men.

"These people were my friends-my **family** and you've _killed_ them! You've killed them all!" The mob leader shrieked, "You'll burn for this Black Rose! You hear me! Someday you'll burn for this!"

The Black Rose only laughed heartlessly at the man's cold remark. "As _flattering_ as that sounds I'm afraid that that day will never come," the Black Rose mocked confidently, "now as much as I'd love to stay here and chat, I must run."

Snapping her fingers, the Black Rose disappeared in a billow of black rose petals, leaving the two men stranded in the forest with the corpses.

"The witch…she's gone!" the other mob member pointed out.

The mob leader growled as he slammed his clenched fists on the ground in fury. "Curse you Black Rose! Curse you!" he yelled to the stars, his voice echoing tersely throughout the night.

Eighteen-year-old Yusei Fudo was almost given a heart attack at the sudden noise outside his home.

He was an inhabitant of the local village just beyond the grounds below however he, being the aspiring astronomer that he was, spent most of his days occupying the old planetarium building on the hill on the outskirts of the village. The young man immediately bolted from his bed of opened astronomy text books and scattered pieces of paper where he had previously dozed off as the sudden sound of someone banging on his front door reached his ears.

"Now who could that be at this time of night?" Yusei questioned curiously, rubbing the sleep from his tired blue eyes as he made his way over to the door.

"Who is it?" Yusei yawned groggily to the person on the other side of the door, suspicious that the individual may be a burglar. However his suspicions proved false when the voice of a female answered him.

"Yusei…it's me. I need your help." The girl said. Without saying another word, Yusei instantly flung open the door acknowledging the young girl as a person that he knew.

"Aki?" the boy said. Standing on his front step was a figure shrouded in a black cloak; their face disguised by a single white mask to shape their petite face. However when the person lowered the hood of their cloak and removed the mask from their face, they revealed a young women, no older than Yusei was, with dark burgundy hair. Her long elbow-length bangs were drenched in beads of cold sweat over her dark brown eyes which reflected her pain as she suddenly slumped down to her knees in front of Yusei in exhaustion.

At the sight of the girl, Yusei ran to her aid without hesitation. "Don't tell me that the mayor sent another angry mob after you **again**," Yusei grunted exasperatedly, "what's the damage this time? Burns? Knives?"

"Worst. Bullet," Aki breathed jadedly. Shrugging the cloak off her shoulder, she winced as she showed Yusei the small yet deep bullet hole that punctured the skin around her shoulder-blade, tiny traces of dried up blood surrounding the severed edges of the wound.

Yusei gasped at the sight of the bullet-wound, overlooking it with shock before turning to Aki who was wheezing breathlessly. He touched his hand to her forehead. Her temperature was high.

"Shit. Looks like you have a fever as well," Yusei said pointedly, "quickly I must get you inside so I can treat your wound."

Aki nodded silently, allowing Yusei to help to her feet as he led her inside of the old planetarium building.

There was honestly nothing much to the old place. It had been abandoned for many years so during that long period it had provided a haven for a multiple dust of bunnies and spiders whose webbed houses clung to its slowly decaying grey wooden walls.

Nonetheless Yusei had made a home of it.

He had cleared out all the old furniture and equipment that had previously dominated the place until the only thing left to occupy the room presently were several wooden bookshelves, each stacked with innumerable archives of astronomy textbooks and novellas owned by the studious Yusei Fudo which were located to the far left of the vast empty room.

At its centre, there was a small wooden table decorated with pages brandishing documented evidence of the research Yusei had devoted his life to learning along with the many tools of his research such as his various pencils, his calculator and even a miniature-sized telescope which was propped facing towards the transparent ceiling above. Its glass surfaces reflected the brilliant picture of the night skies outside which were only shadowed by the shrill cry of the rainy weather that nightfall.

The walls were festooned with large posters, charts and other graphical representations portraying different things relating to astronomy and from the ceiling, there was a sculptured model of the planets of the solar system which hovered above the room, rotating anticlockwise.

Additionally there were a few cupboards where Yusei kept a few of his towels, robes and other traditional clothing which comprised mostly of well-tailored suits made of only blue, black, brown and red fabrics-Yusei's colours.

And lastly, there was a small couch to the right side of the room which often acted as Yusei's bed however that night it played the role of Aki's comfort zone.

The young red-haired maiden was accommodating the chair, the upper half of her body bare as she sat facing away from Yusei. He, conversely, sat to the back of her, a medicine kit propped on his lap, as he applied a strange blue ointment to her wounds.

In the past hour since Aki had appeared at his doorstep, despite not possessing the medical knowledge of treating bullet wounds, the astronomer had still managed to break her fever and save the girl from the fatal wound by following a basic procedure.

First Yusei froze the wound by applying a cold wrap filled with ice to the opening of the wound to numb the nerve endings, then taking a small knife he proceeded to remove the bullet manually, a process that had caused Aki excruciating pain throughout the entire procedure but she handled it strongly nevertheless.

Yusei internally cringed as he slowly extracted the bloodied bullet, eyeing it closely before throwing it into the trash. After he had successfully cleaned out the wound with some rubbing alcohol from his kit, Yusei was rewarded with another pained cry from Aki as he carefully cauterized the wound with another knife blade he had heated over a brandished lighter. Yusei looked at the poor girl, eyes saddening in sympathy. He truthfully admired Aki's strength and will to survive the horrible world that she was thrown into however he still could not help but feel remorse for her. In his village, Aki had a **bad** reputation.

To him, as he observed her guiltless face at that precise moment, she was known ordinarily as _Aki Izayoi_, a beautiful young woman and his closest companion who he has known for quite some time.

However…to others, to the people of the village yonder, she was known by another name…as the dreaded _Black Rose Witch_.

A _beast_.

A _demon_.

….A **monster**.

Those were the common titles that the people of his village had branded to Aki's name-a title that had brought her a lot of ill-treatment from the villagers particularly the **mayor** who continuously orders his mob of men to pursue her every single night. Yusei could not count the amount of times the poor child showed up at his doorstep, injured and bloodied from the wounds they had inflicted on her. But tonight was simply the worst. It was bad enough to use weapons but…_**bullets**_?

Those men had actually **shot** her? Aki was fortunate enough that the bullet had only severed her shoulder but…what if it had been her _heart_?

The very thought angered Yusei especially as he looked at Aki's face, wrinkled in pain.

"Honestly, this whole routine is getting old. How many times will they keep trying to hurt you?" Yusei complained. After he had closed the wound, Yusei then proceeded to wrap Aki's shoulder with bandages. "This is practically the fourth time they've attacked you this week," he said, "I'm running out of bandages."

When he was finished, Yusei closed his medicine kit with a disgruntled snort. He then patted Aki lightly on the back, careful not to touch any of the other unhealed wounds he had previously bandaged.

"Done. You're all patched up now," Yusei said, "how do you feel?"

"…A lot better. Thanks for the treatment." Aki replied smiling weakly as she pulled back on her cloak.

"You're welcome. But in all honestly, when will these people learn to stop bothering you and just leave you alone," Yusei grumbled, "I mean I admit it was wrong for you to steal but all you were doing was getting food. But it's not like you've done anything to put their lives in jeopardy, right?"

"Yusei…I…_killed_ someone tonight," Aki admitted slowly, remembering the dead bodies of the fallen mob members, "I used my powers to stop the attack and…because of that, I ended up killing several people. How is that for jeopardy?"

"Aki…you were only defending yourself." Yusei said.

"…But Yusei, I hurt them! A man lost his closest friends and family because of me and my powers." Aki said, unable to hold back the tears that came to her eyes as she put her face in her hands, sobbing.

"But only because they attacked you first," Yusei said consolingly, "they can't butcher you just for acting out in defense."

"Honestly you don't know these people Yusei. They hate me. To them, I am the Black Rose Witch and nothing more," Aki sniveled, "I appreciate you trying to defend me as always but it's not going to change anything."

"I just wish they would stop trying to hurt you." Yusei said looking at Aki with sympathetic blue eyes.

"Thank you for your words of sympathy Yusei but…like I said, things aren't going to change and they're never going to stop," Aki said, "as long as I have this power…as long as I am the _Black Rose Witch_, they'll continue to hunt me and they won't stop until I'm dead."

"…Aki…I…" Yusei started to say but Aki shook her head, cutting him off and changing the subject.

"But enough about me, let's talk about you," Aki said, grinning widely, "what have you been up to lately Mr. Astronomer?"

"Me? Oh…y'know the usual. Contemplating on the stars and whatnot in fact I've just recently finished the plans for a new device I was planning to build to help me further my research. Would you like to see?" Yusei asked, smiling at Aki eagerly. The girl nodded and Yusei's smile widened as he got up and went over the table with his research. When he returned, he brought back a roll of old parchment which he opened in front of him to show Aki. Aki leaned in closer to get a better look at the piece of parchment. Sketched across the aged surface of the parchment paper was a perfectly outlined diagram of what appeared to be a mechanic aircraft. To Aki, the graphical representation of the flying machine reminded her of a dragon with its long neck and vast wings extended and stretched across the entire page with various numbers jotted here and there while bolded arrow lines displayed the labeled parts of the aircraft. Aki's mouth formed a tiny circle as she gazed at the image drawn skillfully on the page, intent written clearly across her face.

"Interesting." She said.

"You like it? I've been designing it for months. These are just the prototype sketches but this can give you a basic idea on what exactly the device is. I'm actually proud of the way it turned out. What do you think of it Aki?" Yusei asked, eager to hear her opinion of his work.

"Well personally I think it looks great then again I say that for all the work that you produce," Aki said brightly, "but I'm curious to know, what exactly is it?"

"It's supposed to be a flying spacecraft designed for human spaceflight," Yusei explained, "I read about it in one of my astronomy text books. According to the authors, there are actually places where people have achieved traveling through space using one of these devices and have even survived long enough to return and tell others of what they saw in outer space. It gets me excited about what's really out there whenever I think about it."

"That's great," Aki said, "so what is your spacecraft going to be called? I don't know that much about astronomy but based on the pictures that you've shown me in your books before; these things usually have names preferably one with both letters and numbers. Have you thought up a name for yours yet?"

"Well in a way, yes I have," Yusei said, "I'm thinking of calling it the _Shooting-Star-Dragon_. I know it's an unusual name for a spacecraft but for some reason that's the first name that popped into my head when I thought about it. Weird, right?"

"Maybe that's the name that the stars chose for you to name it," Aki stated wisely, "if you ask me, that name suits it more."

"It certainly does." Yusei said, smiling contentedly.

Aki blushed lightly as she gazed dreamily at Yusei's face, finding his smile quite _beautiful_. "So…once you've completed Shooting-Star-Dragon, what would be your next move?" Aki inquired curiously.

"What do you think? Once this baby has been fully built and tested, I'll finally be able to finish my research and fulfill my dream of traveling into the unknown," Yusei replied enthusiastically. "Alas I'll be able to experience the same excitement that my fellow astronomers did when they first whisked themselves off into outer space and then all the answers to my questions about the real world beyond those skies…beyond the stars…beyond this planet even, will at last be answered." Yusei added, gazing up at the ceiling in longing.

"It seems like you have everything already planned out. That's good," Aki said, "and when you leave for space, how long will you be gone? A week?"

"A week? Aki, this is _space travel_ we're discussing," Yusei stated, "if what those other astronomers said about the stars and planets were true then I have a lot of different worlds to discover and explore. Outer space is a vast body comprised of many unknown planets, comets, nebulas and galaxies far, far away. It's going to take possibly **years** to explore them all, more alone to even _find_ them."

"I see. So…when that time comes and you have to leave, you'll be gone for a long time, won't you?" Aki asked.

"I guess I will." Yusei replied with an honest shrug.

Aki frowned disappointedly. "And that means that…I won't be seeing you again for a _long_ time and we won't get to talk to each other anymore, right?" she murmured sadly.

"No I don't think that's a true case because when I leave this world for outer space, you'll be coming with me, right Aki?" Yusei proposed.

Aki appeared surprised. "What? You want me to go with you?" she repeated questioningly.

"Of course I do. I mean I was going to leave it as a surprise until I actually finished working on Shooting-Star-Dragon but since you brought it up, I guess I should let you know. I had planned to ask you to accompany me on the trip Aki," Yusei said, smiling, "you're an important part of my life and one thing about space travel is that it's better to share it with someone that you care about. I care about you deeply, Aki."

"Heh. Are you sure you wish to waste so much time and resources…especially on a _witch_ like me," Aki said, "because according to the people in your village, I'm not worth the effort."

"That's why I'm doing this. Once this is over I'll take you away from all of this. I will take you away from this wretched village with its cruel-minded selfish people who have only caused you grief," Yusei said kindheartedly, "more than anyone in this village I'm the only one who truly knows and understands your sorrows, your uncertainties and your desires and if you'd let me, I would take you to a place where you'd finally be free of all of this. I'd take you to the stars where I would stay with you and protect you forever, if you let me."

"Do you…really mean that?" Aki asked looking at Yusei closely.

The boy nodded honestly, smiling considerably as he wrapped his arms around Aki's body pulling her into a warm embrace. "Yes," he whispered to her softly, "I'll be with you always Aki. Don't worry. _I_ would **never** _betray_ you."

'…_I know _**you**_ wouldn't,' _Aki thought trustingly as she rested her head against Yusei's chest, sighing contentedly,_ 'because I trust _**you**_, more than anyone else, with my life. _**My **_salvation is in _**your**_ hands…_'

"…You're my only reason to stay in this horrible place," Aki said quietly, words barely audible, "Yusei…_thank you_."

The next day Aki sneaked out of the planetarium and headed down to the village. Despite Yusei's warnings to stay hidden until her wounds were fully healed, Aki could not take the risk of being discovered while taking refuge inside of his home, dreading the danger she was putting him in. Apart from that, Aki required sustenance.

She did not wish to take anything more from Yusei, not even the food which he would have willingly offered her. She had depended on him far too much in the past.

So alone, Aki traversed into town. Being the Black Rose, she had spent her entire childhood living on the cold streets of the village, surviving on only bread and whatever morsels of food and water she had managed to take without being caught by the local villagers. She had also grown accustomed to _thievery_, an act she was not proud of committing but without it, she would have perished from starvation and thirst years before.

With the mask cleverly guarding her face, Aki located her target from across the alleyway. The village citadel was the residence of many vendors and merchants with their stalls engaging in the marketing and trade of many various supplies.

The prey was a small stall where its vendor, an old man with a graying beard that flowed down his front to the edge of his tattered sweat shirt, stood arranging some rows of decorated cakes. In his stall he sold bread and other different pastries and Aki felt her mouth water hungrily as she eyed the delicious loaves of bread displayed defenselessly on the table in front of the stall.

To Aki's luck, the capital was not crowded that afternoon and was only filled with the few people who just wanted to simply purchase what they needed before returning to their homes. The men and women who traversed the paved roads of the village square hand in hand with their spouses or their children trailing at their feet were busily minding their own business to even acknowledge that the _Black Rose_ was amongst them.

Even with the word of her adverse survival and the death of several men buzzing through the air, the people paid it no heed as they continued on their way.

Even the elderly baker was too preoccupied. His back was facing the opposite direction, mind so focused on arranging his stack of freshly baked cakes and pastries on the shelves in the background that he didn't notice that three of his bread loaves suddenly went missing.

There were not even any eye witnesses around because Aki had swiftly snaked her way through the crowd and had skillfully pilfered the three loaves, tucking them securely inside of his cloak before dashing back into the alleyway before anyone could have seen her. She had even evaded the eyes of the guards who were stationed at every corner of the square, faces firm, arms heavily armed with guns as they scanned the square for any signs of her.

Aki only rolled her eyes at them as she sauntered down the dark ally, chewing slowly as she savored the loaves of bread. It was going to be her last meal for a while.

Not what she would actually consider a _decent_ breakfast but it made due to quell the rumbling in her famished stomach.

As she finished her second loaf of bread, moving onto her third, Aki stopped for a moment to admire another small stall that had just popped into her view.

It was a flower stall; something she had thought seemed _outlandish_ in the village. During the seventeen years she had lived there, Aki had barely seen any flowers in the concrete jungle of a village.

So it surprised her and excited her at the same time to see _flowers_ especially since the stall sold a different variety of multi-coloured flowers of numerous shapes, sizes and fragrances.

It also sold _roses,_ which added to Aki's enthusiasm because she _loved_ roses, finding them to be the most unique and loveliest flower of the species. As Aki eyed the assortment of roses with their gorgeous oval-shaped petals painted in different shades of colours, she failed to detect the person who owned the stall. The stall-owner was a short woman of Hispanic descent who appeared to be in her mid-fifties. The woman was returning from her house, which appeared to be not too far from her stall, when she noticed Aki standing by the booth, looking closely at her roses.

"Good afternoon my dear, are you interested in my flowers? Would you like to purchase some?" the lady questioned Aki curiously. At first Aki was startled by the woman's appearance and shook her head at her inquiry.

"Oh no I'm afraid I can't buy them. I don't have any money, besides you wouldn't want to sell one to _me_." Aki said disappointedly.

"Really? Why wouldn't I?" the lady spoke inquisitively, resting down the fresh hodgepodge of new begonia blooms that she had brought from her house as she turned to watch Aki confusedly.

Aki bit back her lip nervously, mentally preparing herself for the deep scolding and abuse she was about to receive from the stranger before she gave her answer.

"I'm…the Black Rose Witch." Aki said sadly.

"…And? What's your point?" the lady said, tilting her head in the same puzzle manner.

Aki looked at the woman surprised. She even removed her mask to reveal her shocked face "I-I'm the _Black Rose Witch_," she repeated clearly, "you should be **afraid** of me. You should **scold **me and…and **shun** me because of the supernatural powers that I possess. You should **fear** me for what I am…a _witch_."

"Is that what the people here in this village do to you?" the lady asked Aki. Sighing miserably, Aki responded with an honest nod. The woman observed the expression of misery hinted on Aki's face and heaved a sigh herself. "Well I'm sorry child but I'm not going to do that. Y'see I'm not the type of person to judge others based on what others might have said about them. I see a person for who they truly are," the lady said, "so whereas the people of this forsaken little village see a witch, all I see is a poor lovely child who has been treated wrongly by society,"

"Now what can I get for you? Don't try to act like you don't want a flower. I saw the way you were eyeing my roses. I'm guessing you like roses, don't you?" the lady asked beamingly.

"I do. They're my favourite type of flower and yours are the prettiest I've seen." Aki complimented kindly.

"Thank you my dear. That's rather nice of you to say." the lady said smiling humbly. Rummaging amongst the assortment of different plants sorted out in front of her, the lady reached out and picked up a couple of the red roses and tied them together with a red ribbon she had fished from her pocket forming a pretty bouquet. "Here why don't you take a whole bouquet of roses? Give them to that special person that you like." the lady told Aki as he held out the bouquet to her.

"Oh…that is very nice of you to do but I can't accept this," Aki said, shaking her head, "besides I don't have anyone special to give them to."

"Seriously? I thought that you did. Your face says so." the lady pointed out.

"My…face?" Aki tilted her head looking at the lady strangely.

"Yes. You must forgive me. I have this unusual knack of telling whenever someone is in _love_ just by looking at their face and right now, your face is showing me how your heart is feeling for someone," the lady explained, a smile playing at her slightly wrinkled cheeks, "you are in love, aren't ya dolly?"

Aki's eyes widened and her pale cheeks reddened upon the accusation."…Well…I wouldn't exactly call it love. We're just _acquaintances_." Aki murmured timidly.

"Aha! So there is someone that you like. I knew it. My intuition never lies," the lady hooted proudly, "so come on dear, what's this special someone of yours like?"

"Well…" Aki bit her lip, looking away blushingly, "I don't really know that much about him. I don't know anything about his childhood but I do know about his future. Whenever we meet he's always telling me stories about how much he dreams of becoming an astronomer. He has keen knowledge of the stars and the universe and he told me that one day he hopes of traveling into the unknown skies and observing the Earth from the sea of stars," Aki explained.

"…He's intelligent, definitely more educated than I am. He's handsome and he has the most beautiful blue eyes that I've ever seen. They're almost as blue as the night sky," Aki contemplated, the redness of her cheeks deepening as the image of Yusei crossed her mind, "but more importantly, he is the kindest person I've ever met. He is the only one to ever show me true kindness in this town other than you and I've always been grateful to him for that."

"Sounds to me that you truly care about this one man." the lady stated.

"I do," Aki muttered smiling despite herself, "but…" Aki's smile disappeared and was replaced with a saddened frown. "…It'll never work out between us." she said sadly.

"Why is that?" the lady asked.

"He's too good for me. I don't deserve him," Aki murmured.

"Nonsense child! Why say such horrible things? Every individual on this living Earth deserves someone. That's why the Lord took his time to make a special person for each of us and I'm guessing that this one man is your special someone-the one who you are destined to spend the rest of your life with. If you really care about this man then he deserves to know how you feel about him. Tell him what's in your heart. Who knows, he might be feeling the same way about you." the lady advised.

"I never thought of it that way before." Aki said. She then cracked a light smile as she glanced at the lady and accepted the bouquet. "Y'know I think I _will_ take those roses. It's time I let him know how I feel but…I don't have any money to pay for this." Aki said, holding out the flowers to return them but the lady simply waved her hands in front of her as if to stop her.

"That's alright dear. Take them. These are on the house." The lady said kindly.

Aki eyes widened in surprise but then she smiled, nodding gratefully at the kind gesture. "Thank you Miss…"

"Call me _Martha_." the lady introduced, holding out her hand politely.

Aki shook her hand courteously. "Thank you very much Martha." Aki said thankfully. She then bowed respectfully, giving Martha a tiny wave as she left.

"You're welcome dear. Best of luck." Martha called after Aki cheerfully.

On the way back to the planetarium, all that Aki could have thought about was what she was going to say to Yusei when she confessed her feelings for him. It was a thought that made her nervous.

"Yusei, I feel it is in my best interest to let you know how I feel. I know I'm not the most perfect woman for you and that you're better off with someone else better than a Black Rose Witch but…I have to let you know that I…Yusei I love you." Aki said talking to the imaginary Yusei which was the tree that stood before her. She then shook her head at her failed attempt. "Oh who am I kidding? He'll never believe me." Aki said dejectedly. "But…I have to try." She added confidently as she made her way up the familiar hill.

When Aki had finally arrived at the planetarium, she was surprised to find the door already opened. Puzzled, Aki stepped inside.

"Yusei?" Aki called, "Yusei it's me Aki, are you in here? Yusei?"

No response came. As she stepped further inside, Aki stopped in her track as she heard voices. There were two people talking in the room. One of them she recognized as Yusei's but she didn't know who the other person was. Quietly Aki peered around the side of the door and caught a glimpse of the second person.

It was another man, tall with grey hear that flowed down his back. In his gloved hand he brandished a silver cane and his back was turned as he was busily conversing with Yusei. Aki gasped as she realized that the other man was Mr. _Rex Goodwin_, the proclaimed mayor of the village and the man who had ruined her life and caused her pain since the day she was born.

"The mayor? What is _he_ doing here and why is he talking to Yusei?" Aki asked. Hiding herself skillfully behind the door frame so that she would not be noticed by Yusei or Mayor Goodwin, Aki strained her ears carefully so that she could have zoned in on the conversation being unfold.

"Yusei." Mayor Goodwin acknowledged the other man tipping his hat.

Yusei did the same. "Mayor _Goodwin_," he said courteously, "it's a pleasant surprise seeing you here. What brings you to my inner sanctuary on such short notice?"

"Yusei, if I must say you have been rather _absent_ for these past couple of days. I've hardly seen you around the mansion." Goodwin said.

"Well I've been busy with my astronomy projects," Yusei explained, "the stars can't read themselves, can't they now?"

"Another project you say. Shouldn't there be a next project that you should be working on instead of this star gazing _hobby_ that you took up," Goodwin said, "if I were mistaken Yusei I thought that you might be _avoiding_ your duties especially the one to my darling daughter after all you are her _husband-to-be_. The wedding is in a week's time and my precious Elizabeth requests your opinion on the preparations."

Aki stifled another gasp. '…_Husband to be? Wedding? Yusei is…_**engaged**_…?_' she thought disbelievingly.

"I'm sorry like I said I've been busy with my work that I've forgotten about the wedding." Yusei replied calmly.

"Forgotten? How can you forget your own wedding? You're not having second thoughts about marrying Elizabeth, aren't you Yusei?" Goodwin asked.

"It's not like you've given me a choice," Yusei stated flatly, "as I've told you before Mayor Goodwin I'm not interested in your daughter and I think it's best if I don't marry her."

"Is that so? Well…let _me_ tell _you_ something Yusei." Goodwin said. He pointed his cane at the ceiling where the model of the solar system hovered closely, indicating to the model of the Earth with his finger. "You see _this_? You see this world here. This represents the world that we live in. It isn't one of those _imaginary_ places that you see through that telescope of yours. This is the **real world** and in the real world, there is **no** place for men like _you_ Yusei. Men who believe they'd reach places through determination and hard work. Such naïve rubbish! The only way to make it in this world is through ascribed status rather than meritocracy. That's how I did it," Goodwin said.

"I remember a time when I was just like you. I was young and ambitious just like you, thinking that I can achieve my dreams through hard work…until I realized that this was the **real world** and that dreams matter nothing if they don't bring you fortune," Goodwin said coldly, "so in a chance of luck, I was adopted by the previous baroness as her right hand man and you wouldn't believe the things I had to do just to reach where I am today. That ungrateful old hag tarnished me in ways that you wouldn't even imagine but that was what I had to do for money and all my trials paid off for when that old bat finally croaked. Since she had no heir, all of her abundant finances as well as the title of mayor were passed down to me and her luxuries became mine. All the money of this entire village belongs to **me**,"

"…And it can be yours too Yusei," Goodwin said, "if you want, part of the Goodwin Fortune can be yours to hold. You wouldn't have to worry about gaining the money because the money will be put in your hands. All you have to do is play the part that I've administered to you. If you marry my daughter, the Goodwin Family Fortune will be yours too and then some."

Pulling out a bag of golden coins from his pocket, Goodwin tossed it over to Yusei. Yusei puckered a brow and eyed Goodwin strangely as he twiddled one of the golden coins between his fingers.

"Are you serious? You're _paying_ me to marry your daughter and you actually expect me to accept this." Yusei said incredulously.

"A generous offering, am I right? If you marry Elizabeth and become my son-in-law, that can be yours and more if you wished it," Goodwin said smirking persuasively, "don't tell me that you're going to refuse such an offer Yusei. Many men like yourself would have gladly taken this. Do you know how many people would wish for an opportunity like this? To marry into a rich family. It's every man's dream."

"But it's **not** _my_ dream," Yusei said, "_my _dream is studying the stars and the universe in hopes of someday being able to go up there. I am to be _one _with the universe. That is the path that the clustering stars above have laid out for me and that's the life I plan to live. It certainly doesn't involve living a life of _lies_ and _false affection_,"

"…As I've told you countless of times, I don't love your daughter Mayor Goodwin and no amount of money is going to make me. I'm sorry but that's how I feel in my heart and you can't change that." Yusei concluded.

"You think I haven't realized that. Believe me if there was another alternative then I would have paid some other poor fool to be Elizabeth's groom," Goodwin chided, "however, as much as I love her, Elizabeth can be quite a petty and stubborn child. Reminds me of her mother. Once she finds something that she likes she wouldn't stop nagging until she gets what she wants and unfortunately, the thing that she wants the most right now is you. Elizabeth wants _you_ to be her groom and no one else. She **loves** _you_, Yusei."

"But _I_ **don't** love _her_," Yusei said, "I'm sorry Mr. Goodwin but I won't do it."

"Oh really?" Goodwin growled as he suddenly stepped forward and deliberately slammed his fist against the wall, inches away from Yusei's head as he cornered him against the wall, face twitching furiously. "Listen you _ungrateful bastard_! I've had enough to hear with your complaints and snide remarks! _You_ **owe** _me_, you hear!" Goodwin hissed, "Or have you forgotten the things that _I _did for **you**?"

"It seems like only yesterday when I was wandering through the town and I found a poor little boy rummaging through the garbage bin for the tiniest bits of food that his tiny hands could have grasped and practically crying heart out for the parents who _abandoned_ him there on the cold dirty streets to die. Tell me Yusei, **who** was the one that took _you_ in when no one else would?"

"…_Y—You did_." Yusei admitted softly.

"**Who** was it that gave _you_ a roof over your head and supplied _you_ with the necessities for a comfortable living such as food, clean and fresh clothes and your own private room with a warm bed to sleep in?" Goodwin barked.

"…_You did_." Yusei said shamefully.

"And more importantly, **who** was it that supplied you with proper _education_? **Who** was it that paid for the private tutors to school you in the arts of reading and writing and mathematics?" Goodwin said again.

"_You did_!" Yusei shouted through clenched teeth.

"Exactly **I** did! **I** did all of that for _you_! It was **I** who took care of _you_ and it was **I** who taught _you _all the things you know now and gave you an interest to work towards. You like _astronomy_? You wouldn't even be able to _spell_ the word or even _read_ one of these books about it if it weren't for _me_!" Goodwin shouted furiously, "I treated you like one of my own-I thought of you as my son Yusei and after all that I've done for you, this is how you thank me?"

"Well not anymore Yusei, I'm done being _charitable_ to you. It's time you repay me for all the times that I've helped you and I think you know the only way how you'll be able to do that," Goodwin said, "in a week's time will be the happiest moment of my daughter's life-her wedding day. I love my daughter dearly Yusei and the only thing that would make me happy is to see her smiling face as she walks down the aisle on her wedding day. Sadly, my princess is infatuated with you and will only marry you,"

"Now listen carefully Yusei, if you're going to repay me then you **will** be marrying my daughter and you **will** become her _devoted_ husband, do you understand me? Do it or _else_." Goodwin said threateningly.

"Or else what? What will you do if I refuse?" Yusei questioned daringly.

"You really want to know the consequences you will face if you defy me? You're bolder than I thought Yusei," Goodwin said, leering dangerously, "don't worry the consequences aren't too _harsh_…although…"

"I would **hate** to wonder how you're going to pay for the _reconstruction_ of this old planetarium once I have it smashed to the ground along with your precious work and I also would **hate** to know how you'll be able to do your astronomy research once I've had your body _beaten_ and possibly placed in a _permanent coma_ or worst yet, how will you be able to watch the stars once I've had your eyes _scratched_ out."

Yusei's eyes widened fearfully. "You…wouldn't dare?" he said.

"Care to try me Yusei?" Goodwin said as he suddenly pulled out a knife from inside of his cane and held it closely to Yusei's throat. "I am a man of great power in this village. I influence people's lives each day. You could almost say that I'm the _God_ of this small village and if I wanted you erased permanently from this world then I can effortlessly do that with a mere snap of my fingers. You wouldn't want to challenge me Yusei for you will lose a lot more than a mere argument if you do. Besides I would **hate **to have to cut such lovely blue eyes and stain such a handsome face in blood," Goodwin jeered as he trailed the thin silver blade of the knife frivolously along Yusei's exposed cheek, leaving nothing but a long jagged mark underneath his left eye as evidence of his killing capability as well as his eternal debt to him, "do you understand?"

Yusei did not reply. He was completely speechless. Satisfied by the amount of fear he had inflicted on the boy, Goodwin removed the knife tucking it underneath his belt securely as he leaned away from Yusei, brushing himself off with an air of superiority and peering at Yusei guiltlessly as if he had not just threatened a young man's life for the sake of his beloved daughter a moment ago.

"Elizabeth will be waiting for you back at the mansion Yusei so I suggest that you get a move on. Wouldn't want to keep her waiting, right?" Goodwin said humbly. Still Yusei said nothing, still shaken by Goodwin's threat. At the sight, Goodwin once more smirked triumphantly at the panic he had invoked on him.

"Have a nice day." Goodwin said casually dipping his hat to Yusei again as he made his exit. Quickly Aki hid herself underneath her cloak and stood as close to the shadows as possible as she watched Goodwin walk past her. He didn't even notice her and Aki mentally shuddered at the presence of the man as he left the building.

As soon as Mayor Goodwin had left, Yusei exhaled a held breath as he slumped in his desk. Shakily he touched his index finger to the mark that Goodwin had left to scar his left cheek, feeling the tiny blots of blood that trickled from the fresh wound. However Yusei could cater less for the mere scratch. He was too terrified for his own life especially after the threat that had been made on his soul. Tugging at his spiked raven roots in frustration, Yusei rested his face in hands and groaned at the predicament he had placed himself in.

"What am I going to do?" Yusei said worriedly.

He was brought out of his melancholy when he suddenly heard the shuffling of feet outside his door. "Who's there?" Yusei called out. Next thing he knew, Aki entered the room looking at him with an expressionless look on her face. Yusei's eyes widened slightly not at the look that she was currently giving him but at the realization that she might have just heard everything between him and Mayor Goodwin. "Aki, h-how long have you been standing there?" Yusei questioned, already anticipating the answer.

"Long enough to overhear the _interesting_ conversation you had with the mayor," Aki replied dryly, "so…do you plan on marrying this girl? Y'know…the mayor's daughter."

"Aki didn't you hear. I have **no **choice! If I don't then Goodwin will destroy this planetarium. If that happens then all of my work and research would have been done in vain. Aki he might even _kill_ me if I don't marry his daughter," Yusei said fearfully, "you have to understand the predicament I've been put in."

"I do but I just have one question. When you're married to this Elizabeth woman, where will **I** fit in this picture?" Aki asked, "When you become this woman's husband, your entire time will be devoted to her needs. I wouldn't be able to talk to you anymore. We wouldn't be able to see each other anymore."

"That's not true Aki." Yusei said walking around his table to hold Aki tightly. "Regardless of whether I'm married or not, that wouldn't hinder our relationship. I promise that I'll always be there for you and that no matter what, I'll always be your friend." He assured.

"…Friend? Is that all I am to you? A _friend_?" Aki said harshly

"Well yes, you know how much I value our friendship?" Yusei replied.

Aki felt her heart sink. '…_A _**friend**_? He thinks of me as _**only**_ his __**friend**__ and nothing more…_'

"I see. Well Yusei, if we're such good friends then why didn't you tell me the truth about being engaged. Since when do friends keep secrets from each other and tell each other lies. You **lied** to me Yusei," Aki said crossly, "you made me feel _special_…that I was actually _important_ to you but… I'm guessing that I'm not."

"Aki, why are you overreacting this way?" Yusei said.

"I'm acting this way because I was a **fool**. I was foolish enough to believe that you actually cared about me more than just a friend…that you actually _loved_ me," Aki said furiously, "and to make things worse, I actually began to feel something for you…I can't believe that I actually thought that I was falling for you and that you felt the same way about me but I was wrong. I feel like such an idiot."

"Aki, no. Wait let me explain." Yusei pleaded trying to reason with the raging girl but Aki pushed him away.

"Don't touch me! You're just like the rest of those people! You're despicable! I hate you!" Aki shrieked.

"Aki-please listen to me, I…" Yusei started slowly advancing towards Aki to touch her face but she stopped him in his tracks

"I said DON'T TOUCH ME!" Aki shrieked angrily and without knowing it, she had unleashed her powers on Yusei. The next thing Yusei knew he went hurling back into the wall behind, body shattering wood leaving nothing but a shadowed dent of his crippled form etched into the aging wood before he slumped onto the floor. There were now tiny drops of blood on the wall where Yusei's fragile head had made contact. Yusei cried out in agony and when he looked up from the floor, there was a thick line of blood trailing from the spot where his head had made contact with the wall. Aki cupped her mouth in shock.

She **didn't** mean to do it.

She **didn't** mean to _hurt _him _purposely_.

"…Oh my God! Yusei, forgive me. I…I didn't mean to do it, it's just that I…I can't control…" Aki shook her head guiltily at what she had done. Slowly she began to make her way towards Yusei, who touched his hand to his bleeding forehead eyeing the red liquid pooling through his figures with bewildered eyes as if he was on the verge of madness.

"…Yusei, I…I am…" Aki started apologetically but she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. She extended a hand to touch Yusei's face but jumped back recoiling her arm with a pained look as Yusei _slapped_ away her hand.

"**Don't** come near me Aki!" Yusei shouted. For the first time, Aki had never seen him so profoundly _frightened_ and what pained her the most was that he was frightened…of **her**.

Yusei began to retreat away from Aki, his blue eyes wild with fright as he scrutinized her presence, his fingers pointing at her shakily.

"I didn't want to believe them but…the rumors about you…were _true_," Yusei stuttered frightfully, "I've never seen such a _dangerous_ power. It's almost like you're…some…some…"

'…_**Please **__don't say it_…' Aki mentally pleaded.

But Yusei was too terrified to have evaded saying the next word that slipped out of his mouth.

"…_monster_…"

It was the one word that she had dreaded he would ever say to her. At the sound of the word, Aki felt her heart sink deeper into a void of sadness.

"A…_monster_," Aki repeated tearfully.

When he had realized what he had actually said, Yusei cupped his own mouth in distress and he bitterly tasted _regret_ on his tongue.

"No…! Aki…I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I…" Yusei started but he stopped himself, flinching as Aki raised a hand to silence his attempted request for forgiveness.

"No you've already said what you had to say. You're right. I _am_ a **monster**," Aki said despondently, "and it's bad enough that I get scorned and chased every day by the people of this village who call me by that same **wretched** name…but to actually hear _you_ call me that… that's just…"

Aki looked away unable to face Yusei anymore. Pulling the hood of her cloak over her head, Aki returned her clay mask to her face. This way she did it to hide the _tears _that now stained her cheeks. With that done, Aki spoke to Yusei no more as she walked away. She was almost out the door when she stopped with her back to Yusei.

"…Thank you for finally telling me the _truth_. Now I know what you _really_ think of me," Aki murmured impassively, "you don't have to worry about me coming near you anymore because from now on...you **won't** be seeing me again."

…And then, she was gone.

"AKI! AKI WAIT! AKI!" Yusei screamed behind the girl but she didn't look back nor did she answer him as she left.

By the time Yusei had alas regained his stance and had raced outside to catch her, Aki was already out of sight. All Yusei saw outside his home now were the tall, moribund statues of oak and leaves that stood adorning his front lawn along with the blades of grass that beckoned him in the afternoon breeze.

Acrimoniously, Yusei fell to his knees, arms reaching out to tear vigorously at the lawn as he vented out his mixed feelings of both irritation and resentment towards himself on the powerless weeds and roots whose inanimate cries were left unheard. When he was finished, Yusei drove his clenched fist into the dry dirt before letting his head rest against the naked patch of lawn he had just torn. Several emotions raced through him at that moment however he easily calmed himself as he rolled over to lie on his back to stare absentmindedly up at the skies. There were no clouds that afternoon…nothing but a vacant collage of different shades of blues and oranges that splashed across the heavens like a painted canvas. Unfortunately for Yusei, there were also no _stars _outside that day to provide him with the required answers that he needed to resolve his current tribulations.

"…What have I done?" Yusei mouthed unhappily

It was sharply around midday when Yusei found himself returning to the Goodwin Mansion. It was within the painted white walls and unexplored quarters of this prestigiously designed building where Yusei easily located seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Goodwin in the West Wing where her bedroom could also be found. Miss Elizabeth was a beautiful young girl with a hair of threaded silver, a feature she had obviously inherited from her father, which flowed down the front and back of her slender figure in spiraling curls that enveloped her chest. The deep shade of her emerald green eyes shone like jaded diamonds and even though she sported nothing more than a simple lime green dress, she still carried herself with a graceful air of dignity that identified her as a person to be respected.

Elizabeth glanced up from the wedding magazine she had been reading and she smiled delightedly when she saw Yusei enter through her bedroom door.

"Oh Yusei, there you are, I've been looking everywhere for you. It's about time you showed up. I was beginning to think that you were having thoughts about the wedding ceremony," Elizabeth said as she gracefully walked over to greet Yusei, wrapping her arms around his neck affectionately.

"Oh what am I saying? Of course you're not having any second thoughts after all we do love each other right Yusei? I love you and you love me, right?" Elizabeth cooed in Yusei's ear as she planted a kiss on his right cheek.

Yusei smiled uneasily. "…Yes…of course." He murmured softly.

"Good. Now come along Yusei," Elizabeth said as she took Yusei's hand and led him towards the table where the wedding magazines were stacked neatly, "you and I have a lot to plan. Now I've already booked the church and called the minister. Basically I've taken care of all the important transactions thus far like the decorations, the food and the music and the dresses for all the bride's maids, the best man and I even picked out our outfits. I bought this lovely white wedding gown made by the best tailors in town but you're going to have to wait until our wedding day to see it. Y'know the old saying, a bride can't be seen by her groom before the wedding otherwise there'll be bad luck and the last thing I want is this wedding going up in smoke. I want this wedding to be perfect, just _perfect_,"

"For you, I had the best tailor prepare you a sophisticated tuxedo which I know you will love. I had it made in dark blue to match those lovely eyes of yours," Elizabeth said, pinching Yusei's nose playfully, "I want only the best for _my_ future husband."

"…I can't do this anymore." Yusei grimaced.

"Pardon? Did you say something Yusei?" Elizabeth asked, eyes focused on the image of a lovely wedding dress she had found in one of the other magazines.

"I said I can't do this anymore," Yusei repeated firmly, "Elizabeth I am so sorry. I beg you not to get angry at me and I hope you forgive me for what I'm about to say."

Elizabeth stared at Yusei confused but nonetheless she listened to him. "I've known you for the past twelve years every since the day I first met you when your father invited me to join your family and since then Elizabeth, I've always felt a connection between us…a connection that was more than just a simple friendship between two unlikely individuals. I love you Elizabeth. I admit that I love you very much…" Yusei said, "But," he looked Elizabeth squarely in the face. "…the love I feel for you isn't the love that you feel for me. You love me like a _man_ but the way I love you is similar to the way a brother would love his sibling. I love you like a _sister_ Elizabeth and I'm afraid that that's the only love that I can offer you."

"Yusei, I don't understand. What are you saying? What does this all mean?" Elizabeth said inquiringly.

"What it means is that I see you as the sister who I would do anything for and who I would like to protect; not as the wife I would love eternally and would like to bare children with," Yusei said sincerely, "in a nutshell, what I'm saying Elizabeth is that…I can't marry you."

As he said those last words, Yusei looked at Elizabeth to see her reaction. At first she didn't say anything but then, to Yusei's bewilderment, she started to laugh _hysterically_. "Pardon me but there must be something wrong with my hearing," Elizabeth said, "because I thought that I just heard you say that you are calling off our wedding. I mean that **can't** be _true_, right?"

"No it's true Elizabeth," Yusei replied, "I won't marry you. I'm sorry."

"Like hell you are! Please tell me that you're _joking_?" Elizabeth shrieked, "Please tell me that you're joking about calling off what I—I mean _we_ have been planning and working on for months! Please tell me that you're joking about calling off what is supposed to be scheduled for the following week and what is supposed to be the happiest day of my—I mean _our_ lives!"

"Happiest day of our lives? Oh please! We both know that this whole engagement is a _sham_," Yusei said, "a mere chimera just so you could have your few hours of popularity and be the center of attention in front of thousands of people who you barely know and I refuse to be a part of it any longer,"

"Do you know that your father tried to pay me to get married to you and only wanted me to play along with this charade for the financial benefit? But that's not the worst of it," Yusei said, "the worst was when he threatened to destroy my research and take my life. What do you have to say to that?"

"You think I _care_ about that?" Elizabeth uttered heartlessly, "It doesn't matter to me how much money daddy is offering you or what he says to get you to marry me. All that matters is that on my wedding day, _I_ **will **be walking down that aisle and _you_ **will** be there to wed me. I want _you_ and **only** _you_ as my groom, Yusei. I love you."

"But I don't love you that way. Can't you get that through your head? Our feelings for one another are not the same. You can't have everything you want Elizabeth including me," Yusei said, "this whole engagement is wrong. This is not how a wedding is supposed to be. A wedding should represent a ceremony that brings together two people who are in love with each other to bond them forever in holy matrimony under the watchful eyes of the Gods above us. It shouldn't be about popularity or involve money and threats. It should matter about what's more important which is the love between a couple who want to spend the rest of their lives together,"

"Elizabeth I know you're very upset with me right now and you'll probably hate me for it forever but…I must do what's best in my heart," Yusei said, "I can no longer adhere to the façade that you want me to portray. I'm not in love with you. I never was and I never will be. I'm in love with someone else."

"Oh really? HA! And what other woman out there would want you?" Elizabeth remarked coldly, "Are you aware that the only way you'll ever live a decent life especially in this village is through fame and fortune. Correct me if I'm wrong but you have neither of that. If memories serve right, you were abandoned on the streets by parents who were too poor to feed you when you were six-years-old until my father offered to throw you a bone. **You** have _nothing_ to offer a woman. What woman would want a man with no money?"

"I don't need money to be with _her_. With _her_, the only thing I need to offer her is my undying love for her and her alone," Yusei answered beaming proudly, "_Aki_ will love me regardless of what I have."

"_Aki_? Aki…as in the _Black Rose Witch_! You're leaving a beautiful woman like _me_ for that **ugly** _wench_!" Elizabeth bellowed disgustedly.

"Aki is **not** an ugly _wench_ **nor** is she a _witch_!" Yusei yelled back defensively, his level of pride for the Black Rose surprising Elizabeth, "I don't know where the people in this village lost their respect for humanity but if there is one thing I know, it's that a person shouldn't be judged for what they are on the outside. Aki may be a witch in your eyes but if you had gotten to know her like I did, you would see otherwise. She is a vibrant and attractive woman and _I_ **love **_her_,"

"…And I've made a _huge_ mistake letting her go," Yusei mumbled, sadly remembering the horrible things he said to his beloved Aki, "excuse me Elizabeth."

With that said, Yusei turned to leave but Elizabeth caught his hand.

"Yusei WAIT!" the girl said pleadingly. "C'mon now, let's talk this out. Maybe you'll _reconsider _marrying me if I offer you this. If you get married to me I'll pay you double the amount of what my father was offering and then some," Elizabeth said, stroking Yusei's arm seductively as she fingered the zipper of his pants suggestively.

Yusei could not believe what he was hearing. "Elizabeth, let go of me now," he said firmly pulling his arm out of the girl's grasps, "I've made my point clear. I love Aki and regardless of what you or your father say, I'm going to be with her."

Yusei turned towards the door. "Farewell Elizabeth, I wish you all the best and I hope that someday you'll find the true love of your life as I did." Yusei said. With his last point made, Yusei finally left but not before adding boldly, "…and also tell your father, whatever consequences he has in store for me. _Bring it_."

As Yusei left, Elizabeth fell back in her chair, _stupefied_. "…But…_I_ was supposed to be with **you**," she mouthed feverishly, "**you** were the one _I_ want. **You** were supposed to be _mine_. All _mine_!"

Rage welled in Elizabeth making her pale face turn red with fury and she took out her temper on the poor wedding magazines as she heatedly overturned the bedroom table, throwing all of them to the floor as she dropped on her knees tearing her fingers into all of them, ripping each apart page by page.

"Aki, that **bitch**! How dare you take Yusei from me and steal away the last bit of happiness I had. I'll make her _suffer_ for what she did to me," Elizabeth growled, "I'll be damned if I let her have him."

A wicked smirk suddenly crossed Elizabeth's face as an evil thought tainted her mind. Relinquishing her thoughts of taking out her anger on the wedding magazines, the girl laughed almost madly as she started inflicting of all of her resentment towards Aki on herself. Bit by bit, the love crazed girl tore into her once perfectly-sewn dress, buttons and tattered pieces of cloth falling everywhere at her feet as she destroyed herself out of love.

It was when twilight bathed the evening skies when Rex Goodwin decided to return home. Disregarding his servants who all bowed to him in respect despite the arrogant way her addressed them, the man made his way towards his daughter's room.

"Elizabeth? Darling is everything alright?" Goodwin called to his daughter, knocking on her door.

When no reply came from inside, Goodwin pushed the door open and poked his head inside. The room was dark except for the small beams of light emanating from the opened window inside the small bedroom.

"Did you and Yusei get through with the finishing plans for the wedding successfully?" Goodwin called inside the room, looking around everywhere for his daughter, "Elizabeth?"

When his daughter still did not reply to his calling, Goodwin grew impatient and was wondering what had become of his precious child within the soundproof walls of her room while he was away.

But Goodwin was met with his answer as soon as he walked further into the room and found Elizabeth sprawled off on her bed. At the sight of his daughter, Rex almost _fainted_.

There was Elizabeth lying in a mangled heap, her own **blood **pooling out around her half-dead form, dying the white sheets scarlet red.

The young girl's hair was a _mess_-once beautifully flowing curls now turned to a tussled madness of silver threads. Her clothes were torn to shreds, Goodwin discovering most of the remains lying at his feet. But that was not the worst of it. Excluding her deranged appearance, the girl seemed to have been tortured physically. Her arms and legs born several bleeding scratches and cuts that crisscrossed along the length of her body including one opened wound that punctured her stomach. Her face was the worst. A face once so beautiful that it was the envy of every female in the village now bore a blackened eye which battered weakly against the light from the window, a blistered lip and a broken nose which protruded crookedly against her face.

Goodwin paled at the state of his child. His heart caught in his throat as he ogled at the scene.

"Elizabeth!" the man screamed, horrified.

"…Daddy." Elizabeth gasped weakly.

"Good God, what happened?" Goodwin demanded immediately as he ran to his daughter's aid. Gently, the man took the battered body of his only child into his arms as he held her crumpled form against his chest cautiously as if she were a fragile piece of glass on the verge of shattering. With his teeth clenched and his fist folded angrily, Goodwin hissed, "Tell me **who** did this to you?"

"It was…_Yusei_," Elizabeth replied immediately, "he came here this afternoon and called off the wedding. I was really devastated by what he said and when I tried stopping him to get some answers on why he was ending our wedding, he told me that he wasn't in love with me anymore after he…pushed me on the bed…and forced me to…to…"

Elizabeth trailed off as a _fake_ tear dripped down her cheek. Her falsehood only strengthened her father's boiling rage.

"That _bastard_! I told him of what will happen to him if he double crosses me. I'll have him **killed** for this!" Goodwin spat spitefully.

"Wait daddy; don't blame Yusei for this after all he wasn't the one responsible," Elizabeth mentioned slyly, "if anyone deserves the blame, it should be that Black Rose Witch, _Aki_!"

"The Black Rose Witch? What does she have to do with all of this?" Goodwin questioned.

"_Everything_. She's the one who made Yusei do this to me," Elizabeth replied cold-bloodedly, "she used her wicked powers to put Yusei under her spell and completely manipulated him into doing this to me. She is a _monster_, daddy, a **monster**! She even used her powers to turn Yusei against me and make him be in love with her instead of me."

Goodwin's eyes bulged in disbelief. "I don't believe this! How dare that witch destroy your happiness?" the man spat, "This is the final straw. This is the last time I let the _Black Rose Witch_ walk free in this village. As mayor, it's time I put an **end** to the _Black Rose Witch_ once and for all."

With that said, Goodwin left Elizabeth to rest as he stormed out of her room, his rage flaring with every sharp step that he made down the hallway. A scheme to eliminate the Black Rose was already formulating in his mind as he prepared himself to visit the village square where his eager puppets awaited his new orders. Oblivious to him though, Goodwin did not see the look of pure _satisfaction_ hinted on his daughter's twisted face nor did he hear her cackling loudly from within her bedroom for the seeds of her _revenge_ had already been planted in her angered father's heart.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the village, Yusei was dealing with his own problems. Even though he had made up his mind to be with Aki, the young man was having trouble finding her. No matter how many times he searched the village he found no trace of her.

"I have to find Aki. I have to tell her truth. I have to let her know that I'm sorry for calling her a monster and tell her how I truly feel about her. But where could she be?" Yusei said as he hastily sprinted through the village.

When he grew tired of running, he stopped a minute to catch his breath.

"Aki, _where _are you?" Yusei grunted. Tired from his search, he decided to stop at a nearby pub for a cold glass of bead to refresh his energy.

Unlike the previous nights where the merry men, and sometimes women and youths, of the village would come from all over the municipality to drown their daily sorrows in tall glasses of fizzing alcohol and raucous banter, the pub was almost empty that time. The only people that were there at present were two grown men who sat crowded around a small circular table while having their own discussion over tall drinks of beer chilled by the cubes of ice floating in their glasses.

One of the men was a tall, skinny fella with stringy reddish-brown hair and two unusually large front teeth. Though his true identity and real name was unknown to most of the villagers, to the people who often hung around the pub he was called by one name which was _Beaver_, an alias that obviously suited him. Beaver sat wearing his traditional attire of a grease stained white vest underneath a denim jumper, which had obviously seen better days and which he sported carelessly with one strap dangling lazily off his right shoulder. He was accompanied by his companion of twenty-five years, a short yet brawny man with a carroty beard and a missing left eye named _Murdoch_.

As Yusei made his way over to the bartender-an old man with a pointed nose who sat cleaning his glasses absentmindedly barely acknowledging the young man, he could help overhearing the conversation going on between Beaver and Murdoch, mainly because their voices were so loud, they echoed off the walls.

"'Ey mate. Did ya 'ear the news about the mayor?" Beaver hiccupped as he nudged Murdoch drunkenly, "I 'eard that 'is daughter got raped by 'er ex-fiancé who called off the wedding. Blamed it all on that Black Rose Witch girl, I 'ear. Now the mayor is gathering an angry mob to track 'er down and all. They got pitchforks, torches, arrows and everything. 'Eck they even got dem fine bred guard dogs to sniff out the lassie. With all dem 'eavy artillery, I'd say that witch is a goner."

"Serves the bitch right y'know," Murdoch grunted harshly, "always causing a raucous with dem hocus pocus witchcraft powers of hers. The last thing we need in this town is that _demon child_. It's about time that girl got her punishment for scarring this world with her existence and gets sent back to the burning pits from whence she came."

"'Ai! Time to burn the witch!" said Beaver.

"BURN THE WITCH!" the two men chorused while clinking their glasses together.

Yusei's eyes widened. Without even thinking, he crossed the room and suddenly appeared before the two men as he grabbed the nearest one, who was Beaver, by the scruff of his vest.

"Oy! What the 'ell is wrong with you mate?" Beaver barked, clearly annoyed by the sudden assault. But Yusei didn't care; he was too concerned for Aki.

"The mayor…his mob…where are they? Tell me how far they've gotten in tracking down Aki?" Yusei demanded.

"I dunno. They began their pursuit 'ours ago," Beaver answered, "for all we know, they could be 'undreds of miles away from 'ere."

"You're _lying_! You know something. Tell me the truth NOW!" Yusei said, shaking Beaver vigorously.

"Honestly mate, he doesn't know. Quit strangling him or ya'll kill him." Murdoch grunted.

"Oy! Mate with the blue eyes! Either you let go of the man and step away or else I'll be forced to call the guards." the bartender yelled, finally peering up from his glasses to scrutinize Yusei with a glare.

Growling, Yusei finally released Beaver as he stomped away furiously.

"Crazy git." Beaver cursed behind Yusei's back, eyeing him angrily as he smoothed out his rumpled vest. Murdoch simply shrugged the whole situation off disinterestedly as he finished the last of his beer with an unmannerly belch.

At that point, the pub door was suddenly flung open just as a little boy, no older than twelve years wearing an old bowler hat flattened against his messy sandy blonde hair, entered, smiling animatedly.

"'Ey guys, you won't believe the piece of gossip I got for you now," the boy said, "they found 'er. The mayor and 'is mob 'ave caught the witch!"

"They did?" the bartender repeated incredulously.

"Do tell." Beaver said, licking his teeth eagerly.

"Now I don't know all of the details but if you want to know what I know then it's gonna _cost_ ya," the boy said smirking slyly, "you know my price."

He was rewarded with several silver coins and two gold coins from his peers including the bartender. After he had counted his pay's worth, the boy pulled a chair over to Beaver and Murdoch's table and took a seat between them with a satisfied smile as he pocketed his spoils.

"Alright, 'ere's the scoop," the boy said, "according to my sources, I 'eard that they 'ad the wench on the run for a while and I'll admit, they lost track of 'er for a sec but dem dogs got some really sharp nostrils, they do. Got 'er scent in mere minutes and chased 'er up 'ill to the ole _planetarium_ near the gardens,"

"…now they 'ave 'er _cornered_," the boy went on, "surrounded 'er on all sides, I 'ear and the last thing I 'eard is that they started firing at 'er trying to get 'er to get out. I almost feel sorry for 'er...almost."

"Finally the witch's reign of darkness will end tonight." the bartender cheered gladly.

He was joined by the little boy who crossed his arms, nodding and Beaver and Murdoch who both raised their empty glasses in concord. All the while the four of them were talking in private; they did not note that Yusei was still inside of the pub and had overheard everything about the chase and about Aki.

'…_Not if I can help it_…' were Yusei's thoughts as he made his way out of the pub.

"Whoa! Where's the fire?" the boy commented as Yusei pushed past his chair and left in a haste. "Who was that laddie?" the boy asked pointing behind Yusei.

"Just some git who wanted to know about the witch," replied Beaver smugly, "almost strangled me for answers, the bastard."

"Hey Beaver, did you notice that the lad referred to the witch by her first name? Kinda _odd_ dontcha think?" Murdoch said, "Sounded almost like he knew her personally, not like the witch was allowed to actually have _friends_ in this village."

"Well whatever so-called _relationship _that kid had with the witch it's worthless now because as of this moment, she's as good as dead." The bartender stated.

"FIRE!"

The sounds of gunshots piercing through thin layers of thick glass cut through the night skies as several bullets were fired at the planetarium building shattering glass and old wood.

On the inside of the building where she took refuge, Aki cowered in fright underneath what was left of her cloak disguise following the chase and the assault from the attack dogs who had almost sheared her to bloody shreds.

On every side of the building outside the multitude had her cornered. All armed with their weapons to _kill_ her. She was so scared that she could not even think straight.

…That exact moment…could mean the _**end**_ of her…_for good_.

On the outside, Mayor Goodwin, who had assertively led the pursuit, commandingly halted the barrage as he stepped forward holding a speakerphone up to his mouth.

"BLACK ROSE WITCH! THIS IS YOUR **FINAL** WARNING! **SURRENDER** YOURSELF TO ME NOW! I PROMISE YOU IF YOU DO SO WILLINGLY THEN WE MIGHT LET YOU LIVE!" Goodwin yelled stridently.

When no responses came from within the building and when Aki did not chose to surrender herself like he had anticipated she would at that point, Goodwin frowned impatiently and almost crushed the fragile speakerphone in his grasp.

"So that's the way you want to play, eh? Fine have it your way _witch_. If you won't come out then we'll **force** you out," Goodwin snarled, "FIRE!"

There was another bombardment of gunshots. Aki screamed as more shards of glass from the windows shattered above her, spraying blistering specs around her. Fortunately she had her cloak and mask guarding her face and body protecting her from the splinters but that did not quell her fear.

'**Why**…_Why are they doing this to _**me**_? _**What**_ have _**I **_done to deserve _**this**_…?_

As she contemplated on the faith of her existence in those final minutes in silence, her body trembling uncontrollably, Aki failed to see the lingering shadow of a being that was slowly edging towards her from behind. Aki nearly jumped out of her skin as she felt a hand touch her shoulder. Spinning around wildly, arms flaying, Aki physically prepared herself to fend off the intruder but stopped…her racing heart slowing to a calm beat when she realized that the person was, to her relief, _Yusei._ Even in the darkness of the building, even in the chorus of ammunition around her outside, Aki still made out the young man's warm blue eyes which overlooked her in concern as Yusei embraced her in relief.

"Yusei?" Aki murmured in her own disbelief, "What are you…How did you…?"

"It doesn't matter how. Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Yusei asked worriedly.

"Just a couple of bruises and burns but…I'm _fine_," Aki replied. She then cracked a small smile despite herself as she leaned into Yusei's welcoming chest breathing into him in reprieve for the first time that night. Conversely, Yusei did the same as he dusted idle splinters of glass and wood from the girl's tattered cloak.

"Oh Yusei I'm so glad that you're…" Aki started off but then…she interrupted herself when she remembered very clearly that she was _supposed_ to be _mad_ at **him**.

"…I mean, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be outside helping that angry mob try to kill me?" Aki said sharply, trying to push Yusei off of her stubbornly but for some reason, her body wouldn't let her remove herself from his presence. Even though she was still angry with him, there was no thought in her mind that didn't scream that she wanted no more than to remain by his side, especially at that current moment. Despite the girl's stubborn doggedness to remain furious with him about their past encounter, nevertheless, Yusei ignored her comment as he looked at her seriously. "Aki, listen to me. You have to get out of here and fast," Yusei said anxiously, "now I know this place is surrounded but I…"

"Why bother? It's _useless_ Yusei. Admit it, it's over. There is no way I could outrun that mob anymore," Aki interrupted resignedly, "like you said they have this entire place surrounded on all sides and they're just waiting for me to make the slightest move just so they could strike me down. Face it Yusei, I've nowhere else to run. The Black Rose has _fallen_."

"Not if I can help it. There is no way that I'm just going to stand here and watch you die," Yusei said determinedly, "now hear me out carefully Aki, I have a plan that might just work if we play our cards right. Right through that hall is a small passageway that leads outside of the planetarium. That's how I got in and we're going to use it to get out,"

"Once we've gotten outside, I'm going to take your cloak and mask," Yusei suggested, "I'm pretty certain that neither the mayor nor the villagers have seen you without this mask hiding your face so I'm going to disguise myself as you and lure them away from here as far as possible while you escape safely to somewhere else."

"Are you mad? Those people have dogs and weapons," Aki said, "you'll be killed before you can make a move."

"You think I care," Yusei said unflinchingly, "right now all I'm concerned with is getting you out of here alive."

Yusei then pulled Aki into him, hugging her closely as if he would never let her ago again, even though he knew very well that he had to in order to keep her alive and safe. This time, Aki made no moves to push the man away and almost bit back the urge to cry as she inhaled his familiar scent, remembering just how much she loved him.

"Aki, no words can describe the remorse I feel for hurting you earlier. I'm sorry I called you a monster. It's just that I had never once experienced the strength of your powers firsthand. I admit I was overwhelmed by it…and in that split moment, for the first time since I met you, I actually became…scared of you," Yusei whispered, "but…" Yusei hugged Aki tighter and this time she wrapped her own arms around him and hugged him back.

"…I was wrong, dreadfully wrong and I ask that you please forgive me for what I said," Yusei said apologetically, "I'm also sorry for lying to you. I should have told you about my engagement to Elizabeth Goodwin. It would have seemed like the proper thing to do and I guess I didn't tell you because I was afraid if I had told you the truth, you wouldn't…want to see me anymore. I was afraid of losing the strong relationship I had built with you. I was afraid…of losing you."

"…Yusei," Aki mouthed as she looked at him worriedly.

"So that's why I'm doing this. I _can't_ lose you Aki. I am going to make sure that you get out of here alive," Yusei said passionately, "if anything were to happen to you then I wouldn't be able to live with myself. You're too important to me, Aki."

"Oh Yusei." Aki said, crying happily despite herself.

Yusei returned the smile, releasing Aki as he helped her back onto her feet. "Now let's get out of here and quick!" Yusei said quickly. Aki nodded. However just as the two were about to make a move, they were stopped in their tracks as the door suddenly swung open and several people carrying weapons of slaughter swarmed the room.

"HALT!" A man yelled as he and the rest of angry mob surrounded Yusei and Aki blocking their escape. From the crowd, Goodwin made his way to the front and at the sight of the man; Yusei pushed Aki behind him protectively.

"Aki. Aki. You didn't actually think you could escape that easily, right? You weren't planning on using that secret passageway, weren't you? I think not," Goodwin said callously. "I see you're also here Yusei. I'm guessing you came to share in the execution of this wench as the rest of us after all she did manipulate you into raping my daughter."

Yusei's eyes widened. "What? I didn't do…" he started but Goodwin silenced him.

"You even captured the witch for us, well done Yusei," Goodwin intervened proudly, "you'll be rewarded greatly for your contribution. Now I must ask that you please move away so that we can put an end to this monster."

"BURN THE WITCH!" the mob chorused in the background.

Yusei eyed them all seriously, glimpsing Aki behind him as she squished herself closer to him to avoid the furious glares she was receiving from the unfamiliar faces all around her.

"Yusei. Step aside." Goodwin repeated with authority. At first Yusei eyed the man with a panicky expression but then swallowing his fear, he shook his head. "No." he said sternly.

"No? You're kidding. Don't tell me that you're actually defying me again and defending that wench." Goodwin chided.

"I'm sorry but I am. I won't let you hurt Aki," Yusei said, tightening his hold around Aki, "y'know you people should be ashamed of yourselves. You say that Aki is the monster but look at yourselves armed with your dogs and your weapons ready to kill an innocent person who has done nothing to hurt you. If you ask me the _real_ _monsters_ are **you**."

"How insulting! How dare you call us the monsters when the real one is standing right behind you?" Goodwin shouted.

"Monster? Aki, remove your mask and hood. Let everyone see your face." Yusei said. Obediently, Aki lifted the hood of her cloak and dropped her white mask from her face. Never in the years since she had been branded with the title of the Black Rose Witch had she allowed anyone else but Yusei to truly view her face so it came as a surprise to everyone when they were shown the innocent-looking young girl who stood standing before them, fear in her eyes.

"_Look_ at her! Does she look _dangerous_ to you? She is just like you. She _is_ **you**! She has the _same_ features as **you**, she feels the _same_ emotions as **you** and she fights the _same_ problems as **you**," Yusei protested, "the only difference between you people and this young woman is the fact that she possesses an extraordinary power…a _gift_ that was given to her so that she could stand out amongst you people. Like a cluster of stars, Aki is the brightest one because she stands out…her powers makes her _unique_…it makes her _special_,"

"But instead of appreciating and accepting her uniqueness, you people chose to disregard her and you turned her _gift_ into a _curse_," Yusei went on heatedly, "every day you people belittled Aki for being different. You made her believe that because of her powers she was dangerous…that she was a _monster_ and because of that you made her fear herself."

"But she attacked us," one of the village men spoke up in objection, "how can you account for the times that she attacked innocent civilians. Our poor royal guards were severely injured and _killed_ by **her**."

"Only as a matter of _defense_." Yusei retorted coolly. He then faced Goodwin who had umbrage written all over his face. "Mayor Goodwin, you sent those guards to kill Aki just like how you're making these villagers kill her now. Put yourselves in her shows. Wouldn't you have done the same thing if you were constantly chased by people trying to harm you? If someone was coming to do that to me then I would retaliate as well," Yusei said, "it's time you people account for your actions and admit to yourselves that you were _wrong_. Admit that the image of the _Black Rose Witch_ was just a hallucination. Aki is **not** what you perceived her to be. She is a poor young girl trying to make it in this village and had to spend most of her life suffering because _you_ refused to accept her. It's time that you let her be. It's time that you people stop this nonsense. I'm asking you to please put down your weapons and let Aki go…let her _live_. Let her live a carefree and happy life like the rest of you. Let her live a life of _freedom_."

As Yusei looked into the crowd of villagers, he eyed each of their faces firmly.

At first, no movement or further protest came from the mob for a while but then, slowly yet assuredly, one by one, both men and women involved in the mob, old as well as young, began to drop their weapons and back away from Yusei and Aki. Yusei smiled at them in mute thanks.

Goodwin, on the other hand, gawked at them all, appalled by their sudden switch in loyalty.

"What are you people doing? Pick back up your weapons now!" Goodwin hollered furiously.

"I'm sorry Mr. Mayor but we can't." said one male villager.

"Yusei is right. _Enough_ is _enough_." a woman stated.

"We were wrong for hurting the Black Rose-I mean Aki." One of the royal guards spoke up.

"What!" Goodwin growled crossly.

"Let her go Mayor," another guard said putting his hand on the man's shoulder, "it's time we let her walk free. It's the least we can do after all the sinful acts we've committed against her."

"What! You dare to _disobey_ **me**!" Goodwin spat shoving the man to the ground firmly, "I'm your _mayor_! I'm the reason that you ungrateful ingrates have a life in my town and this is how you repay me!"

Villagers became frightened by the death glare that was being administered to them by their "honourable" mayor and some of them even stepped back to avoid his cold gaze.

Yet still, no one, not even the guards made a move to pick back up their weapons.

"Fine! If _you_ won't kill her then _I_ will. I don't care about you but there is no way I'm allowing this witch to set foot in my village anymore. Not after what she did to my daughter!" Goodwin barked.

"Mayor Goodwin, please listen! Aki is not to blame for anything. Aki never manipulated me into raping Elizabeth. I never touched…" Yusei said but for the second time Goodwin silenced him.

"SILENCE! You'll be punished as well for your treason!" the man spat, "You witch. Because of you my daughter won't be getting the happiest day of her life. If no one is going to put you out of your misery then I will."

Without warning, Goodwin pulled out his knife from his belt; suddenly charged forward aiming the silver blade at Aki's heart.

But before the object could touch Aki, Yusei bravely jumped in front of her taking the blow onto himself

"…YUSEI!" Aki screamed her voice piercing. She then caught Yusei swiftly in her arms as his body slumped back clutching at the knife that pierced his chest.

"Stupid boy." Goodwin chided pitilessly, stepping back to observe his handiwork with such heartlessness that he even spat at the boy's feet.

"…Yu…sei?" Aki repeated questioningly, tears dripping down her face as she cried over his bloodied chest. Yusei laid _lifeless_, hands still clutching the object that had brought him his untimely demise, surrounded by strangers who were presently watching his dying form in speechless terror before turning their eyes towards the man standing next to him sniggering darkly who had been the _bringer_ of his demise. All and sundry remained _silent_, the only thing audible were the sounds of Aki's poignant sobbing. But the silence itself did not last long for at that precise moment, a behemoth block of wrecked wood suddenly came plummeting from the ceiling above crashing onto the deadened floorboards, breaking the stillness. It was soon followed by another hunk and then another and another until it was raining remnants of glass and lumber for the planetarium itself had arrived at its limit after receiving so much abuse from the mayor and his mob in the past few minutes. And now the building was punishing them for their actions as it slowly began to crumple to its own death. At once, as wood and glass showered around them, everyone that was originally inside the building, excluding Yusei and Aki, evacuated.

Outside they were met with the remaining few mob members who had stayed outside as back-up defenses while they apprehended the Black Rose from the inside, and now stood watching in bewilderment as their comrades sprinted hastily away from the building. As he made his way past a villager, Goodwin suddenly stopped to pull the man aside as he stood holding up a pair of lit torches.

"Burn down this building now?" Goodwin ordered breathlessly.

"But…Mayor Goodwin, he's still in there. _Yusei_ is still in there with Aki." One villager pointed out as he passed the mayor with his wife at his heels. He was rewarded with a sharp _slap_ across the face which knocked both him and his spouse off their feet and into the cold dirt as Goodwin turned with a temper so ferocious that it sent both the couple and the man still holding the torches into a trembling fit.

"Don't you dare speak that wench's accursed name in my presence," Goodwin hissed acidly, "and as for Yusei, forget about him. It's his punishment for loving the witch. Now burn this place to the ground NOW!"

Without restraint, the man unquestioningly obeyed his mayor as he raised both his arms, a torch in each hand, before hurling them both at the crumpling planetarium building. One of the touches landed sharply against the roof of the building while its counterpart was shot inside. Goodwin gazed with a final look of sincere fulfillment as the infernal flames emitting from the torches blazed to life, setting the compound on fire both inside and out.

Either way, the poor souls who were unfortunately still trapped inside of the fort had no other alternative to escaping at that point and that was all the reason that Goodwin needed to put a smile on his face.

…His act of revenge had alas brought him victory over both the Black Rose Witch and the one man who had courageously stood to oppose his reigning power.

Meanwhile, on the inside, amongst the broken timber reduced to ashes and amongst the burning inferno, Aki continued to cry over Yusei's body, her conscience fully aware of the contagious flames that were slowly spreading and devouring at everything inside of the building while the ceiling crumbled above their heads.

But nonetheless, the girl did not care as she continued to shake the body of the man lying motionless before her. She had removed the bloody blade from his chest, discarding it to the flames as she now prayed that her efforts would miraculously return her beloved to life.

"Yusei! Yusei please wake up! _Please_!" Aki cried pleadingly.

Finally, after awhile, Yusei's eyes blinked into consciousness.

"A…ki." He spoke weakly.

"I'm here," Aki whispered, "Yusei why did you do it? Why did you protect me?"

"People do crazy things…when they're in love." Yusei answered with a pained smile. He then groaned as blood sputtered from his mouth.

"Yusei, no…please don't die…don't leave me! Stay here with me. I _need_ you!" Aki wept desperately.

"Aki…I'm fine. You…can still make it out of here alive." Yusei said.

"No I'm not leaving here without you. I won't leave you" Aki said stubbornly.

"Aki…listen. It's…alright," Yusei said soothingly, reaching a hand to stroke Aki's cheek faintly, "Aki…no matter what… I'll love you…_forever_."

"Forever?" Aki repeated, holding Yusei's hand affectionately.

"Forever." Yusei confirmed devotedly.

"Oh Yusei…I…I love you too. I love you so much," Aki cried contentedly, "and…if you're going then…I'm going with you."

"Are you sure…that's the decision…you want to make?" Yusei asked, feeling the life slipping away from him.

"Yes," Aki said strongly. She then pressed her lips to Yusei's in a light kiss before she laid herself beside him, looking in his face with the resolve to not leave his side.

"No matter how this ends. No matter where we go after this, let's go there _together_." Aki said.

She could have felt the flames slowly edging towards her, their burning claws outstretching to burn at her feet however for a second time…she did not care. All Aki saw and felt at that moment was Yusei.

At Aki's bold words, Yusei cracked another smile. "As you wish, my love." He said emphasizing the last two words with a passion that could not be broken. With the last of their strengths, Aki and Yusei both crawled closer to each other and for the _last time_, they shared another kiss.

Though…this time they did not part…only pulling each other closer in their arms so that their once divided hearts became one in that final fleeting moment…even as the building regrettably gave way and collapsed to its feet and the flames devoured their bodies.

* * *

…And….

…As the couple kissed each other…the last thing they remembered feeling was the heat of the flames but **not **from the fire…

…the flames they felt were the flames of passion that they felt for each other…

…and it didn't matter to them wherever they went after that, all that mattered was that no matter where they went…they would go together…for they knew that their love was eternal…and will live on forever…

….For **Love** is an _everlasting_ sentiment that cannot be stopped…

…There are **no** _walls_ in **love**…**no** _breeches_...

….**Love**…knows **no** _boundaries_…

…

…even in _death_…

* * *

**Mistress:** Hey ya'll. Remember when I took this chapter down to submit it to the contest. Well sadly, I didn't win the contest but it's alright. I'm still proud that I took the opportunity to submit and take part. Maybe next time, I'll win for sure. All in all, thanks to everyone who gave me their support. So here I am reuploading the chapter for those who didn't get a chance to enjoy one of the best chapters I ever wrote, in my opinion)


	12. Stranger In Moscow

**Chapter Twelve:  
**"_Stranger in Moscow"

* * *

_

…_Cold_…

…

…_Worried_.

…

…Those were the feelings he felt at that moment-his navy blue jacket; which was festooned with an usual assortment of what appeared to be bubbled balls painted in a transparently gingery orange hue at the shoulders; was hugged tightly against his shivering body as the lone individual ambled aimlessly through the crowded streets of the metropolitan of New Domino City…

…

…His raven-coloured spiked hair, highlighted in lightning gold, lay flat against the tempestuous winds of that afternoon's gloomy atmosphere…

…The heavens above, their usual pale faces now grey with melancholy, were moaning their cries of warning to the unsuspecting creatures stationed below…for a definite storm was a coming…

…

…As he meandered through the streets of the city…_alone_…the boy stopped for a brief moment, allowing the deep cerulean hue of his eyes-shaped with adolescence but overflowing with matured wisdom and understanding-to wander around his present surroundings…slowly eying the faces of each individual who happened to pass him straight…

…

…It was as if time itself moved in _slow-motion_...

…To the young man, the people of New Domino City resembled the pages of a flip book comic strip…their movements slow yet précised…and as he attentively observed it and its people from afar…the young man noticed things about this city that he had never noticed previously in the short time he had stayed within the wall of its industrialized corridors…

…

…It was truly amazing how different this city was from where he had originally came from…the Satellite…and as he compared this modernized, almost futuristic style of society to the slowly rotting remains of the dump that his home was often described as, his mind could not help but consider how much different the world would have been if the incident of the first Momentum-the incident that had changed New Domino City forever and had given birth to the Satellite, resulting in the deaths of many innocent inhabitants including his own beloved parents-the incident that his own father had forged for the benefit of helping the world but ended up becoming the exact opposite of his intentions-had never occurred…

…

…If that occurrence had never happened-then maybe the _People of the Satellite_ would have been living their lives the way they wanted-_**happy**_-with possibly the same opportunities as the _People of New Domino City_…

…

…If that occurrence had never happened-then maybe the _People of the Satellite_ would have been able to enjoy the same luxuries that the _People of New Domino City_ were allowed to accommodate for themselves-such as a nice, comfortable roof over their heads complete with a temperate blanket to snuggle underneath whenever the days and nights became too cold or at least some food to eat-instead of having to go to their beds made of garbage bags and old rags with empty stomachs…

…

…If that occurrence had never happened-then maybe the _Children of the Satellite_; both the past and future generations would still have loving parents to feed, cloth and shelter them when they needed protection…

… '…_Kind of like __**that**_…' the boy thought as he observed a family of four standing across the street.

The father of the family was looking lovingly at the young woman who was stooped down infront of him as he was tenderly holding a blanket-wrapped bundle in his hands. The puerile boy was quietly nestled against the shoulder of his father; his tiny head of chocolate brunette strands, mimicking that of his mother, sported a Knitted white baby hat in the shape of a kitten as he slept soundlessly in his arms. The mother, on the other hand, was comforting the small girl at her feet. Looking at her sweetly, the mother mumbled words of sympathy to the little child who was weeping shamelessly at the loss of what seemed to be her wafer cone of _**Cookies N Crème**_ ice-cream whose continents now lay splattered against the surface of the concrete pavement…

…The boy watched attentively as the mother continued to show her concern for her child, compassionately stroking the top of her head all the while silencing the whimpering cries that were once emitting from her mouth and wiping away the fallen tears which stained her face. The mother was probably an _angel_, the boy thought, an angel with supernatural powers that worked like magic. For previously, the little girl had been crying but, due to the love of her mother's words and the softness of her warm touch, the child was ultimately contented and now stood beaming at her mother's face as the woman kissed her forehead before lifting her into her arms and following the father as the happy family continued their way down the streets together…

… Heaving an exasperated sigh at the sight of the family, the young man stuffed his fingers which were presently numbing from the cold temperature into the pockets of his jeans as he continued his voyage down the city streets. He did not have a clue as to where he was going…all the boy knew was that wherever he was heading…he was going there…_alone_…

… '_It must be __**nice**__...having parents to love you and take care of you_,' the young man considered to himself, his mind reminding him of the loving parents he had witnessed with their children.

…Although, the boy himself would never experience _**that**_ _feeling_…the feeling of **love** and **security** that only parents can give, having never met his own parents…and never will…

…As far as he could see…this boy had always been _alone_….

…As his boot clad feet thundered against the concrete of the pavement, eyes focused on nothing infront of him, he just happened to brush against the shoulder of a stranger cloaked in black…

…Without even uttering an apology, his mind elsewhere, the boy continued his way past the man without giving him a second's glance…

…The boy moved _**onward**_, mind shut off from reality and trapped in his own worrying world of loneliness…

…

…_Cold_…

…

…_Worried_…

…

… Those were the feelings he felt at that moment as he looked to the heavens…as if beseeching them for answers to relinquish him of the plague of worry and loneliness that threatened his heart…

…He looked to the heavens with blue eyes-_lonely blue_ eyes that longed for love and companionship…but the boy furiously shut his eyes when the grim skies refused to answer his prays…slowly continuing on his journey to nowhere….

…But what the boy did not know was that those same blue eyes…those same _lonely blue eyes_…were a **connection**…

…The boy himself was a **connection**-and although he did not know it yet, he _connected_ people….

…More importantly was the uncanny _marking_ which lay dormant underneath the fabric of the sleeve of the boy's jacket, tattooed on his left arm in an erasable red ink...the marking resembled the head of a mythical beast and despite its odd shape…it was still a **link**…

…It was the _missing link_ which unknowingly **connected** this one boy to the hearts of four other individuals located elsewhere in the city…

…

…

…It connected him to a _worried_ **king**…

…A **king**, whose face was screwed up in a permanent frown as he stood on the balcony of his high castle in the Tops observing the continuous world below with royal purple eyes filled with monotony. It _amused_ him how _different_ the world seemed from the ground he currently stood upon. As he squinted his eyes at the faces of the people standing underneath him, scurrying below like ants digging through the dirt, the king could not help but mentally _mock_ how _**fragile**_ they all seemed from his private domain and for a brief moment, a wave of intimidation swept over him as he suddenly felt more _**superior**_ than the likes of the remaining society, finding them substandard or inferior when compared to **his** _demeanor _and a smirk of satisfaction crossed his lips as he was reminded of the days he would spend gazing watchfully down at these puny sized people from the walls of his _Kingdom in the Skies_; laughing halfheartedly at the memories…

…But those times were _**over**_ now…As the greats once said, there must come a time in a king's life when he can no longer assume his responsibilities as king and must instead step down from his throne and allow someone else to take his place…unfortunately for _this_ **king**, his dethronement had come _earlier_ than he had anticipated…and not only was his title of king stripped from his fingers but he was additionally brutally _humiliated_ infront of the observing eyes of his millions of supporters in a defeat that not only changed and ruined his life…but also may have ruined what little chance he had at a prosperous future…

…Now…this **king** was _no longer_ a **king**-now he had been overthrown to walk the lonely streets of the city by himself...

…He was now one of the same people he had ridiculed during his days of kingship-He was a _**commoner**_…no greater and less important than the average man…fame abandoned and memory forgotten.

…He was no longer the _**legend**_ he had given up _everything_-the bonds he had developed and shared with the people he had grown up and previously cherished in his heart as his friends and family-to become…

…And after all of that had been taken away from him…what was there left for him to hold onto? Nothing but a _broken crown_ and an _empty throne_ accompanied by a _lonely heart_, which had discarded all the feelings that made him human including companionship and compassion in order to make him into the being he had desired to become…a lonely heart that was presently _**shattered**_…longing for those feelings to return…

...Now he was what he was…A _**worried king**_…

… "…_What is there for me to do now?_" the lonely king questioned himself as his gaze traveled into the grimly skies, staring amongst the line of cumulonimbus clouds suspended above the neighbouring citadel as if praying for the answer to his puzzling question would magically materialize before his very eyes…

…But no answer was mouthed…all that was heard was the mourning cries of the heavens…

…

…

…It connected him to a _worried_ **witch**…

…A **witch**, whose chocolate brown eyes gazed absentmindedly into the swirling greenish-black contents of the cup of freshly brewed herbal tea clasped delicately in her fingers…its barely transparent surface mirroring her face creating a reflection of her depressed expression.

…The young woman was, at the moment, seated comfortably at a table inside of a small pub. She did not know what possessed her to go there in the first place especially by _herself_.

…The pub was bathed in the sounds of raucous laughter and various grunts of approval and disapproval as men, middle-aged and elderly were gathered at tables of wood or oak, engrossed in conversations based on topics deemed inappropriate in the girl's eyes over a few swigs of beer and any straight or mixed concoction of alcoholic beverage served courteously by the pub's bartender; or a couple of puffs from the pair of Hookahs stalked on top of their tables…

…The girl wrinkled her nose at the aroma of alcohol combined with the lingering stench of cigarette smoke perfumed the air circulating the entire pub; finding it just as _revolting_ as the three young men who were seated opposite her, two tables down from across the left hand side of the room. Their eyes were blotched and blurred from the continuous inhalations of the haze of nicotine engulfing their table and their breaths were reeking of expired beer from the effects of their drunkard stupor, but nonetheless the three men all sniggered amongst themselves as they winked at the girl suggestively, their faces scanning her body from top to bottom with expressions of perversion.

…The girl merely rolled her eyes at the foolish trio of males, clearly uninterested.

…Fortunately for the girl, she was apparently not the only underprivileged female situated in the pub as there were a couple of more girls, the exact age as her seated at tables to the far right of the room. But unlike her, these girls were not alone. They _**had**_ company-most of them joined by a _man_.

…The young girl breathed a gruff sigh as she watched each of the other girls as they sat together with their boyfriends-either idly making out with each other behind the greenery that decorated the pub or holding each other's hands while staring into each other's eyes passionately. Her own _coffee-hued_ eyes burned with _**jealousy**_ especially at the sight of how _**happy**_ each of the girls appeared to be as they were spending their spare time with the men whom they loved…

…The girl peered at the chair opposite from her own…the one that was **empty**…and at that moment, her _lonely heart_ ached with sadness…Oh how she longed for that _empty chair_ to be filled…filled by _another_ person…a **friend** or perhaps maybe a _**lover **_...just someone who could show her how it feels to have someone love you-someone who would look at her with eyes filled with _**adoration**_ and _**compassion**_…

…But sadly, that chair would always remain empty…

…In that split second, in her hallucination, for a moment she thought she saw a shadow of a tall brunette man seated right infront of her. The man beamed at the girl with a charming smile on his face…

…The girl knew this man…she had seen him many times…in her nightmares…

…But nonetheless her memories told her that this one man used to be a person who had loved her or at least cared about her at some point in her life…and at that same time, she felt the same way as she thought he did…

…And as her heart reminded her of the feelings she once had for this one man, in her hysteria, as she gazed lovingly at the allusion her heart had materialized infront her, she actually found herself smiling back at the man…

…But as she outstretched her hand to touch her fingers to the man's face…the girl stopped herself, withdrawing her hand as she was hit with the wave of realization that this man was not real…

….Yes, that empty chair would _remain_ **empty**…

…Feeling embarrassed, the girl averted her gaze from the empty chair and turned it towards the skies…the dark cloudy skies…a single tear touching her saddened face…

…

…

…It connected him to a _worried _**thief**...

…A **thief**, whose own grey eyes, softened as he grinned brightly. He was surrounded by the eyes of the several children presently in his custody.

…They all stood surrounding him on the floor of his old hideout near the uncompleted Daedalus Bridge, their naïve little eyes observing his every move with deep interest. In his gloved hands, he held a small deck of cards and on his face, he held a smirk which widened as he held out one of the cards for the children to see, laughing wholeheartedly at their faces as they all turned to look at him in adoration for discovering such a magnificent card, fighting amongst themselves for which one of them got the chance to actually hold the cool card…

…And as he observed the little rascals fighting playfully before his eyes, the thief could not help but wonder how blessed he was to have found such amazing kids…

…His mind took him back to the first day when he had found these very children-cold and alone with no parents or guardians to take care of them and give them what they needed for daily survival especially in a place like the Satellite…These poor children…they reminded him so much like himself when he was a child growing up in the Satellite that he had do something for them…to help them…to _save _them…

…So like any _mother hen_, he took them underneath his wing…he fed them when they needed sustenance and provided them with the necessities that they needed…and also like any mother hen, he protected them and also disciplined them and taught them how to survive in the never-ending Circle of Life...

…To him, these children were like his _baby chicks_…

…And to them, he was more than what he was…to them, he was a _father_ and more importantly…he was a _savior_ in their eyes…a complete _saint_…

… (**L.O.L**!)

…But this thief knew that he was **no** _saint_…

…What kind of saint would steal from others?

…Even though it was for a good cause in helping the children he swore to protect…stealing was still stealing…it was _wrong_…and it was something that he had done one too many times that it was almost embarrassing…

…He had the _scars_ to prove it…his own face said that alone, which he compared to the faces of his little chicks…Unlike his, there faces were _clean_…as opposed to his face which had been tattooed with the markings of a _**criminal **_to remind him of his sins…

…Yes, to his children, he was the _saint_ who loved and protected them…but to himself, he was a _criminal_-a **sinner **whom had broken the stoned commandments of though shalt not steal and covet thy neighbour's possessions one too many times...Even if it was for a _good_ cause…

…And if this thief knew another thing, it was that in every sinner's life, there will be a time when he or she would have to repay their sins…what worried this thief the most was…when the time came for him to pay the penalty for his crimes, what would become of these poor children of whom he would no longer be able to protect?

Or worst, would he be able to live with himself if these very same children ended up paying the price for his sins?

…

…

…and lastly, it connected him to a _worried_ **princess**…

…A **princess** who, within the pearly white walls of her own castle in the skies, peeped up from the doodled outline of the majestic fairy dragon she had been sketching for the past few minutes to avert her attention to her male counterpart seated next to her on the couch in the living room of their huge manor in the Tops.

…The young man was presently playing one of his virtual dueling videogames and the princess cracked a smile of amusement as the small boy defeated his digital opponent for a second time; jumping up and down in his seat, cheering loudly and waving his arms around as if he was dueling in front of an actual crowd of spectators…

…Grinning at her twin's exuberance, the princess breathed a sigh as she looked around the home they had been living in for the past twelve years since their birth…

…There is not a day when the girl did not consider how truly _fortunate_ she and her brother were…

…Compared to the many other children out in the city and even the world, who were probably struggling with their own lives…the two of them had it extremely well. They were fortunate enough to have been born into one of the wealthiest families in all of New Domino City and throughout their childhood, they had experienced things and gained luxuries that the average child could have never dreamed off. They had both gotten _everything_ they had ever asked for.

…Huge allowances…beautiful dresses…teddy bears made in _France_…race cars…China doll sets…videogames and other various expensive gifts-they had it _all_. They had everything that they had ever _desired_ however…what they did **not** have was all that they **needed**…

…

…How _long_ had it been since this princess had last _seen_ her **parents**…the faces of the two people she once knew whose memories were slowly beginning to fade away with each passing day that came...

…How _long_ had it been since she had last sat at the dining-table and shared a nice meal together with her whole family-meaning both her brother and their mother and father…

…How _long_ had it been since she had last felt the warmth of her parents' touch in her arms before they were swept off to another unknown land across the seas never to be seen or heard from again for another several months…or more so…_years_…never getting to witness their children's growth into young adults…

…Though she and her brother had learned to survive without their parents' assistance and though her twin fancied living in a household where they were given the privilege to commit whatever acts they wished without their parents' knowledge…_still_…the young princess could not help but feel _saddened_ because, even though she would never openly admit it to anyone, not even her brother, she _missed_ their parents **every** **day**…

…She missed having someone to happily greet her with opened arms and a pleased smile whenever she and her brother returned home from one of their daily ventures…

…She missed having someone prepare her a nice _home_-_cooked_ meal and breakfast that they themselves slaved over pots and stoves to cook especially for her instead of sending the servants off the fetch it…

…She missed having someone tuck her in at nights and tell her fabled tales of beautiful princesses and handsome warriors who dwelled in faraway lands that only appeared in her dreams…

…But more importantly, she missed having someone to **love** her…someone to proudly congratulate her on her endeavors…someone to wipe away her tears whenever she was depressed and always assure her that things were going to be alright despite the odds…

…It was a love and understanding that only loving parents could offer their children and sadly enough, the young princess did not have that…she could **not** have that…not while there were several miles of land and ocean separating her and parents…

…Her castle was without a **king** or a **queen** and the thing that worried the young princess the most was…_when_ will her beloved mother and father return…more importantly, what would become of her and her brother if they **never** returned at all?

…

…

… It connected **five** _lonely hearts_…the lonely hearts of individuals who all shared the same concerns not just about themselves and the people around them…but also about each other…

…And as they looked to the dreary skies, all of them-the **man**, the **king**, the **witch**, the **thief** and the **princess**-they each contemplated on their problems and beckoned the heavens above to give them the answers to many questions that were troubling their hearts….

…

… '_Do I truly have the _**strength**_ to protect those dearest to me…?'_

… '_Will I ever be _**truly**_ forgiven for what I've done…?'_

… '_Will I ever find someone to _**love**_ me…?'_

… '_What will become of these poor _**children**_ if I'm not around to care for them…?'_

… '_Will I ever see my _**mother**_ and _**father**_ again…?'_

…

…But the question that truly worried them all…the question that they all shared in common was…in this world of **friends** and **enemies**…of **lovers** and **haters**…and of the **good** and the **bad**…

…

…'**Who**_ did I have to turn to?'_

…'_Am I _**alone**_?'_

…

… '…Well? Am I?" the _worried_ **man** thought to himself inquiringly.

…His feet had brought him to an empty street-an open space where the land connected the sea overlooking a beautiful ocean view. It was at this serene location where the worried man stood…_alone_…his feet towards the ground and his eyes towards the skies.

Eventually…his questions were answered by a single trickle of water that touched his cheek.

…

… _Drip…Drip…Drip!_

…

…The heavens had alas offered its input.

…Slowly…the _rain_ began to fall, its tiny droplets plummeting towards the world below. The man stared up in awe at the marvelous event occurring around him. Behind him, he could heard the natural screams and shouts of the city inhabitants as they all ran for cover from the aerial assault. However even as the people around him ran for protection, the young man did not. …Instead the man stood in the open…out in the rain as he allowed it to bathe his body.

…With each droplet of water that sprinkled against the surface of his skin, the man, oddly felt his tribulations disappear bit by bit with each trickle that slid off his body.

…It was as if the _overbearing_ **anxiety** that was once tormenting his soul was being washed off of him…washed away by the rain and…strangely; the man found the relief to be quite _refreshing_ especially to his troubled spirit. He was **not** the only one.

…

…

…From the balcony of his old kingdom, the _worried_ **king** stared uncomprehendingly at the skies as the rain fell around him.

He admitted that he was _grateful_ for the rain for it surreptitiously masked the tears that he shed for the loss of his precious throne and the king smiled despite himself as he allowed the heavens to shower him with their generous sympathies.

After awhile the king turned around to return dejectedly to his empty castle however as he did so, he was startled to discover that he was no longer standing alone on his balcony.

…Right behind him was a young dark-haired girl… no older than he was…who stood quietly watching the king with a sympathetic smile. Apparently she had been standing there all that time observing him in silence.

…The king stared dourly at the young girl. He had expected her to _mock_ him since he was a presently dethroned king without the respect of his loyal fans anymore…however to the king's surprise, the girl only smiled at him kindheartedly as she held out her hand to him…

Instead the girl gleefully _welcomed_ the king into her open arms for she did **not** care what he used to be…she did **not** care about his _previous_ title…she did **not** even care about his _past crimes_…all she cared about was **him**…for she cared about him for the man that he was on the _inside_…the man that she **loved** dearly…

…And in the eyes of the young girl, the _worried_ **king** saw the tranquility and inner-strength that he needed to _forgive_ himself and move forward…

…Stepping forward, the king slowly moved towards the young girl until he found himself standing directly before her…looking into her eyes dreamily.

…Taking the girl's hand in his own, the king smiled at the girl charmingly as he pulled her into his arms

…The girl, in turn, graciously returned the hug as the two embraced each other in the rainfall…

…

…In another part of New Domino City, the _worried_ **witch** was still seated inside of the pub… Her gloved fingers were fiddling absentmindedly with the handle of the cup of tea she had finished drinking moments ago, while she sat carelessly observing the raindrops that slid down her window. In her idleness, she glimpsed the young couples once more, only this time her attention focused primarily on the handsome young men who hugged their girlfriends tightly to shield them against the cold temperatures of the rainy weather…

…And as she watched their masculine arms wrap soothingly around the delicate bodies of the women that they cherished in their lives, pulling them against their warm chests, the girl felt an irking feeling in the bit of her chest.

…Oh how she desired for someone to embrace her in such a gentle manner…a companion to hold her in their arms and make all of her worrisome problems disappear…

…But although the witch wished for that with all of her heart…she knew deep down that such a thing would never come true…**not** for _her_…

…In her moment of depression, once again the witch found herself being revisited by the same haunting image of the brunette haired man. This time, the persona sat opposite from her with his arms held outstretched for her to embrace him…

He _wanted_ her to embrace **him**…he _wanted_ her to embrace the return of the many memories she had of **him** and…more importantly, he _wanted_ her to embrace the fact that all the _atrocious_ things that he had done to her in the past had **never** happened…

…It was as if this ghostly image of the man was almost _mocking_ her…as if he was wordlessly telling the _witch_ that she would never find condolence in anyone else but **him**…and for the moment, the witch _believed_ him…

…Slowly…the girl felt herself reaching out towards the brown-haired man once more…longing for **him** to hold her in his arms and make all of her problems go away, just like he had done before…

However as her hand edged towards the man's face, the witch momentarily glanced down at her arm and for the while she stopped…

…As she stared at her hand, the witch was reminded of the _dreaded_ **marking** that was tattooed across her arm…

…Though that particular marking had brought her nothing but grief and pain in the previous years of her life…still that _marking_ was there for a **reason**…it was there to remind her solely of the reality that this figure-this brunette haired man, no longer existed anymore…

…He was just a mere figment of her imagination created as a result of her loneliness…

…It also reminded her that this marking also **connected** _her_ to four other people…people who all shared the same thoughts and feelings as she did…people who all shared the same trials and pains as she did…

And it was those same people who _knew_ her more than that brunette-haired man ever did…those people were her closest **friends**…her _family_…

…She was **not** _alone_…she **did** have _companions_ all along. So for that matter, she had **nothing** to _worry_ about at all…

…Immediately, the witch withdrew her hand and as she did, the image of the brunette man frowned slightly. Nevertheless, the witch merely smiled proudly to herself as she arose from her seat.

…Paying for her beverage, the witch prepared herself the vacate the pub…however before she left, the witch mentally whispered her _goodbyes_ to the brown-haired man…clearly informing him that she no longer _needed_ him in her life as she planned to **forget** his existence entirely…

…The image of the man could have done nothing more other than watch crossly as the witch finally dismissed him…

…His memory ultimately faded facetiously into the background as it was replaced by a **new** _memory_…

…It was the faces of the four other individuals, who all stood beaming brightly at the witch, _especially_ one _particular_ gentleman amongst the four whose remembrance was the most noteworthy in the girl's heart...

It was this particular young man who held out his hand welcomingly to the witch…a hand that she was more than willing to take…

…Beaming to herself with satisfaction, the witch finally left the pub and with it, the **memories** of brunette man far behind…

…Now…the witch stood outside in the _rain_, allowing its arms to wrap itself gently around her form…its cold tears relieving her of all her past anxieties and pressures…and for the first time that day…the witch was able to smile sincerely as she now able to find admiration in herself…

…

…

…Meanwhile, at his own home…as the rain poured heavily, the _worried_ **thief** beckoned his children to come inside to shelter them from the rain. However the children did not wish to come inside and instead, they decided to stay outside, playing in the rain.

… The thief observed watchfully as his children enjoyed the rain as if it was an open playground. He watched as they all frolicked through the rainfall-some jumping in and out of the puddles that formed on the earth while others, mostly the girls, twirled around with their arms outstretched as if to embrace the rain in their tiny arms and there were even those who just stood with their tongues sticking out as if to taste the rain.

…The thief only chuckled amusedly at his children as he observed them from afar. Despite what they had been through in the past and despite not knowing what tomorrow could bring them…the children all seemed so _cheerful_ and so _carefree_ without a **worry** in the world…as if nothing could break their spirits…

…And at that moment, the thief could not help but _admire_ his little children…wondering to himself…why couldn't **he** think the same?

…The thief soon felt a tug on his jacket and as he looked down; he found one of his little girls. The small child asked the thief if he wanted to play with her outside, staring into his face with pleading amber eyes.

… Normally, the thief might have refused such an offer especially in that particular weather…however… this time…he decided to accept.

After all, sometimes you just have to **live** in the moment and tell your worries to take a hike…at least that's what the thief would say…

…Gently taking the little girl's hand, the thief grinned broadly as her allowed her to lead him outside as the two of them joined the other children in _enjoying_ the weather.

Together…with all of his children, hand in hand, the thief experienced a **thrill** that he had not experienced in years since he was a young boy himself growing up in the ruins of the old Satellite amongst all of his old friends.

As a mixed **family**…they all _ran_ together…_jumped_ together…_skipped_ together and they all even rolled around in the mud together, making mud angels…**laughing** joyously together all the while as they did…

…And in that moment, as he chuckled softly to himself, the thief grinned from cheek to cheek from his spot on the ground beside his beloved chicks…

Closing his eyes and sighing in contentment, the thief allowed the skies to wash over his face as the sounds of his children's playful cries and delightful laughter sung in his ears and lulled away his fears…

…

…

… And as for the _worried_ **princess**…She too was enjoying the skies' blessings as she now stood by her patio doorway, watching the droplets fall from the sky.

…The rain had turned the outside of her kingdom into a wonderland of beautiful cerulean droplets that sprinkled speckles of liquid dust at her feet and gave birth to small _puddles_-liquid **portals** that reflected the face of the skies…

…Smiling toothily, the princess laughed out loud as she suddenly pulled open her patio door and ran outdoors, practically _dancing_ around in the rain.

...Her raucous amusement and uncharacteristic behavior eventually attracted the attention of her brother who had abandoned his videogame and presently stood by the patio door, gaping at her which a weird expression as if she had gone totally **mental**.

…But the princess only giggled again at her brother's reaction as she suddenly pulled him out into the rain with her…and oddly enough, the boy gave no cry of discontent as he gladly took his beloved's sister's hand.

…No matter how utterly **silly** they might have looked at that point…neither the princess nor her brother seemed to care for they both continued to cavort about, splashing water on each other and running through the streamers of water that drenched their bodies and laughing faces…

…As for the princess's **concerns**…._what_ **concerns**? They were all gone as of then with the pouring rain…

…

…

… The young man smiled. With the raindrops falling from his face, he realized that all of his worrying had been for **nothing**.

He realized that he **did** have the _power_ to protect those that he cared about the most…especially the four that he was _connected_ to.

Those important people-the people in his life…his friends…his family… were his _precious_ **treasures** and no matter what was to become of him for foreseeable future, he was going to guarantee that **he** would _change_ the world-he was going to correct the mistakes of his father and **rebuild** the city so that it would become a _haven_ where both the _People of New Domino City_ and the _People of the Satellite_ could live in harmony-a place where his loved ones could be safe…and; even if he had to sacrifice everything in his power to do so, he was going to make that possibility happen.

…That was the promise that the young man made to himself. That was his _new_ **resolution**.

…And as he looked to the skies one more time, thanking them for showering him with their generous compassion…for a moment, the young man thought he saw…a **dragon**?

…He was **not** the _only_ one—the dragon was also seen by the **witch**, the **princess** and her _brother_, the **king** and his _lover_ and the **thief** and his _children_-they all watched as the dragon with its body of infernal scarlet glory, basking in the light of its crimson brilliance, disappeared into the clouds…

Its godly power calmed the rain and at the same time, the clouds dispersed to reveal a veil of evanescent light which bathed the city in a new glow.

…And as they all looked towards the skies, all **five** individuals smiled as the shadow of the _Crimson Dragon_ faded into the new day…

…Its appearance gave the _signal_ of a **better** _tomorrow_ and a _future_ that was filled with _unknown_ **trials** and **outcomes**.

…But nonetheless the _five_ individuals, especially the young man, all knew that no matter what the future had to bring…they did not have to face it **alone**…

…They knew they had each other to help them on their journey towards a brighter future…and for that moment, that's _all_ that mattered…

* * *

In _remembrance_ of the late **Michael Joseph Jackson **(1958-2009).  
Inspired by his song "Stranger In Moscow".

* * *

**Mistress**: I don't know what I can say about this chapter.

I had originally written this chappie last year, as a sort of _tribute_ to **Michael** after I had found out about his tragic death. However I never got around to finishing it...until now.  
The reason why I chose "Stranger In Moscow" as the inspiration behind this chapter was because...out of all of Michael's songs...this was _my_ **favourite**.  
I absoloutely **love** this song...there is just something about it that makes it sound so relaxing whenever I listen to it...and what made me like it even more was the **music video **behind the song. If you ever saw the music video to "Stranger In Moscow", you would better understand where I'm coming from with this chapter 83

In this chapter, I didn't really revolve it around any particular pairing like I always do (though there was some hints of **Faithshipping** and **Retributionshipping** somewhere in the mix). For this chapter, I just wanted to do something _different_, y'know...give my readers a _different_ feel (like i did with the last chapter which got some excellent feedback 8D Thanks guys). You could almost say that this chapter more focusses on each of the Signers' character in general as well as the relationships between them and other people in their lives, past andd present (such as Aki with Divine, Jack and Carly, etc).  
My apologies for the "..." overload plus the bold and italics XD. I wanted to try a different format and...whatever minor grammatical errors i might have missed out to edit, sorry for that too. LOL

All in all, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, nonetheless. I want to hear what you guys thought about this. Whether it's positive or negative feedback, let me know, I could take the hit (even though i did spend a week working on this XD).

* * *

OMG! I can't believe it!  
After **11** chapters, I have finally reached my _**100 **review goal_!  
Now "A Recipe For Love and Laughter" stands at **108 **reviewers! Who would have thought?  
I, Mistress of Serenity, would personally just love to thank all of my readers for their continuous support.  
THANK YOU! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH X INFINITY! You have no idea how happy you all have made me =D I would never been able to make it this far without your reviews =D You guys are AWESOME -gives out free Bruno plushies-.

I would also like to give a shoutout to these specific reviewers. Remember the prizes I was going to give out to my lucky 90th and 100th reviewers. I would like to congratulate: TeamSatisfactionFangirl (90th) as well as both Mic-RNOL-Mik and LoganTheJetPsysicDuelist who are both my lucky 100th reviewers =D  
As your reward, the next three chapters will be dedicated to a pairing of their choice. Which pairings did they chose? Well I guess you guys will have to wait until my next update to find out what I have in store for you 8D

Speaking of updates, this might be my last one for awhile. As of now I don't have an internet connection so I'm not sure when I'll get it back up and running again but I will try my best to update whenever I can. ^^ Hope u guys understand.  
Until next time. Please review. Y'know my motto =D

* * *

_Please **review**. **Critiques** are welcomed too._


	13. Love Is War

**Chapter Thirteen:**

"_Love Is War"_

Into the dark night he ran without fear.

A tall masculine figure, his body cloaked in magnificent violet and untainted white…his hair crowned by a mane of pale golden tresses. His own deep purple eyes were wild with anticipation and anxiety…only fixated on the unknown trail before him as he searched…slowly searched…for the person he had once lost.

In the far distance of the _deadened_ city…streets **deserted**…buildings **abandoned**…the souls of the living **gone**…the young man could have heard his comrade, yelling boomingly into the unknown, his fierce voice echoing throughout the dead night. However he could have catered less for that.

**No**. At that moment, only _one_ thing mattered.

_Her…_

He must find that one person. He had to find _her_.

All the while he was running, the young man mentally prayed that the assumptions that he had made about the identity of that one person were not true.

…It **can't** be _her_.

It just **couldn't** be!

**Not**…_her_.

It was then, when the young man alas caught up to her. There she was…an ominous figure fully clothed by the shadows…her feminine silhouette barely visible through the thin blanket of mist shrouding the area in an aura of darkness.

"…Hey you!" the young man yelled to the mysterious girl. In her brisk walk to escape, the girl gasped as she noticed the man's presence nearing her and she glimpsed back slightly, acknowledging him.

"Yeah you, why do you look so _familiar_?" the man said questioningly as he approached the girl.

The girl herself, wasted no time in wanting to get as far away from the blonde man as quickly as possible. Upon sight of him as he neared her clandestine form, she instantaneously made an attempt to usher away however not before she was caught by the man. This attempt proved futile for unfortunately the blonde man was faster than she had anticipated.

In one swift movement, his hands reached out to grab hold of her back. Fortuitously for her, his hands had barely missed her head by inches, only managing to knock down the hood of her cloak. Nonetheless…the attempt was still quite effective because even though he was only able to make out the back of her head, still, the young man identified the girl. And upon recognition of the girl, the man's eyes widened in shock at the familiarity of the girl.

He **knew** _her_!

No. _She_ was **more** than that.

_She_ was **someone** that he cared dearly about.

Someone he had purposely left behind…only wishing to keep them alive and safe…to **protect** them.

However now that he was seeing this very individual standing before him…dressed in the gown of the shadows…marked by the hands of evil…soon to become his destined adversary, the young man could not believe it.

Seeing her especially in that state…in that particular form was similar to watching an inanimate life form being resurrected from the dead.

Unfortunately for him, this figure…this empty shell of the woman he previously cherished in his heart as a companion…the woman he had unintentionally fallen in love with…had received the ultimate death penalty and had been revived solely for the purpose of eradicating him-the _Wielder_ of the Red Daemon's Dragon…the _Bearer_ of the Mark of the Wings of the Crimson Dragon.

She was his destined foe.

"I…I don't believe it?" the man shuddered dubiously, "…Carly…is…that you?"

Slowly, the girl; Carly, turned around to face the young man. "Yes." She replied inertly.

The man grimaced at her state.

Beautiful dark blue eyes, once bubbly and bursting with life, which previously looked at him with compassion and affection, now overlooked him in dead monotony and tiresome grief. It was an awful sight to see. "What's going on here?" the man continued to remark in the same disbelieving tone, "You can't _really_ be a Dark Signer."

Carly only returned the hood of her cloak to her head as she turned her back to the young man. "…If it's answers that you want, then you'll have to come find me tomorrow," she muttered apathetically, "until then Jack."

With that as a final statement to the young man-Jack, Carly made her departure, streaks of silver tears trickling past her cheeks as she made her leave. Jack, in turn, could have done nothing more but watch her leave in silence, unable to find the words to bring her back.

…As if he could bring her back…

…As of that moment, he and Carly were no longer friends.

They were **not** even _humans_ anymore, considerably.

To each, they were bestowed with _inhuman_ powers by differing **Gods**-one of Light and Creation, the other of Darkness and Destruction.

They were now only **Signer** and **Dark Signer**-_mortal_ and _immortal_ **enemies**…and nothing that he could say or do would ever change that or the paths that they were now meant to walk.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Carly whimpered wretchedly.

Try as she might, she could not bring herself to cease the tears that stained her saddened face. Seeing the face of her past beloved was excruciating and her feet forced her to run until she couldn't anymore.

Without even realizing it, Carly found herself standing in another deserted area of the city, damaged and covered in rumble and dust as a result of the previous battle between her new leader and that other Signer-_Yusei Fudo_. Carly was about to leave when she heard the sniggering voices of men, edging closer to her.

She immediately spun around to discover three males slowly advancing towards her from the shadows.

All of them were dirty-looking from top to bottom, barefooted and dressed in nothing but tarnished clothing fished from the depths of the trash bins as a result of their harsh poverty.

One of them even sported a single strip of gold between his decaying yellow teeth, which he flashed vividly in the rays of the moon hovering above them as he and his buddies sneered at the young woman that had regrettably wondered into their territory.

Carly internally cringed at the state of the men, clearly not approving of their vibe. There was something remotely dangerous about them and her intuition proved correct.

"Well, well, look at this. Seems like a little mouse has lost its way. Our lucky day." cooed the man with the gold teeth, licking his lips hungrily. He was obviously the leader of the trio.

"…She certainly is a _pretty_ young thing, ain't she fellas?" chimed another one of the men. He was the one with missing thumbs on both hands while the third party was the one with the half-chewed right ear. All in all, Carly still scolded all three of them nonetheless.

"Leave me alone. I have no time to deal with you disgruntled miscreants. Go away!" Carly grunted disgustedly. She then attempted to push herself past the three men only to be stopped dead in her tracks as one of them, the leader, suddenly snatched her by the arm. "What's the hurry sweetheart? No need to leave just yet." The man said, smiling perversely.

"He's right. Why don't you _stay_ for awhile and _play_ with us. We'll guarantee you a _good_ time." hissed the thumb-less lackey as he stood to the back of his leader, eyeing Carly's restrained body up and down with a suggestive glance at his crotch.

"A very good time." The third man reiterated wickedly.

"Unhand me!" Carly screamed defiantly.

She tried to forcefully pull her hand out of the man's grasps however her attempts proved false for the leader tightened his grip around her arm until it stung with pain.

She was also rewarded with a sharp slap to the face which knocked her to the ground flat on her back. Carly winced and released a cry of pain.

On her chapped lips she now tasted blood…dark crimson blood which trickled past her chin and stained the surface of her neck. But before the child could have even wiped away the liquid pain from her face, she was suddenly apprehended by two of the men-Mr. No-Thumbs and Mr. Chewed Ear-as either of them retrained her arms and held her against the grounds against your will.

In the meantime, the leader stood over her, a wicked glint hinted in his eyes as he bent low in front of Carly, resting his hand audaciously on her thighs as he spread her legs apart.

It didn't take Carly long to realize what the leader of the gang…this horrible man was planning to do to her and at the awareness of her current situation, she opened her mouth to scream however for the second time, she found herself being contained for one of the leader's two accomplices had clamped his hand over mouth, muffling her cries for help.

And as she wriggled underneath them, unable to free herself, Carly could not believe what was about to happen to her. Even reborn as a Dark Signer, she was still too _weak_.

Even though she had single-handedly defeated Divine that was only in _dueling_ and try as she may, she could not summon forth her powers to smite these three men that now stood over her, their wicked faces jeering darkly at her cowering defenseless form.

She was still a **weakling**.

A _damsel_ in distress only depending on the strength of her valiant knight to come and rescue her every time she falls into the arms of danger.

…However that was all in the past.

…For now her once courageous knight was no longer bound to her and had become her opponent.

There was now _no one_ left to **save** her. _No one_ left to **protect** her.

_No one. _

'…_Oh no! I can't believe this is happening! They can't do this to me_,' Carly thought dejectedly, _'someone help me! Someone _**please**_ help me!' _

…

**Jack**_…help me…_

…

…**Jack**_…?_

…

Though she cried out his name.

Though she called for him with all of her heart…she knew that he would **never** come.

Why would her mortal enemy save her life?

There was no doubt in Carly's mind now. She was done for…again.

"Look at this. Seems like the little lass has given up." No-Thumbs remarked to the others. It seemed that Carly had suddenly stopped moving. She now lay rigid against the ground, tears dried against her cheeks as she unwillingly awaited the oncoming faith that was about to befall her. She no longer had the strength to live on…as if she had any to begin with as a Dark Signer. At the girl's unexpected forfeit, the leader leered maliciously.

"That's good. Makes it easier for us." The man remarked callously.

_Unzipping_ his pants, he spread Carly's legs open a little wider as he bent down low enough to _enter_, fully readying himself to defile her innocence.

However, before the man could have made a step further, he was suddenly stopped by a voice that spoke from amongst the shadows. It was as if the voice _was_ the **shadows** itself and it spoke in a sinister…merciless tone.

"Excuse me, correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the young mistress say to let her go." The voice said.

At once, all three men shuddered as they turned their eyes towards the entrance of the alley way. Standing there, dressed in attire similar to Carly's, was another man.

His eyes were as black as the night skies and his hair was as silver as the moon, the strands of his locks glistening against the moonlight. From beneath the hood of his dark cloak, the man leered, his eyes flashing enigmatically as he cracked an impish smirk at the faces of the three men holding down the girl.

"Oy! What gives? Who the hell are you?" the leader grunted, glaring at the intruder gruffly for interrupting them.

The smirk on the man's face only widened. "I don't think that you're in any position to be using that tone with me, _lesser mortal_ otherwise I'll be forced to **punish** you for your insolent stupidity and believe me you wouldn't want that." The silver-haired man retorted unemotionally. "All though, it would _amuse_ me greatly to put an end to your pitiful human life." He added naughtily.

"What the hell is this _asshole_ talking about?" No-Thumbs grumbled in annoyance.

"Listen you, who the fuck do you think you are?" the leader snarled.

"Me? Well that's simple. I'm the bringer of _your_ **demise**." The silver-haired man remarked heedlessly with a snicker.

"He's _mental_!" commented Chewed-Ear.

"Don't let him intimidate you boss, he's just trying to screw with your head." No-Thumbs said.

"Oh I'm going to do _more_ than just that," the silver-haired man said, his snickering upgrading to a hysterical laugh, "now I will not say this to you again. Unhand the girl or _else_. I will give you three seconds to heed my warning otherwise you'll all be rewarded with a most painful death."

"What the-is he for real? What is he talking about…?" said No-Thumbs.

"He's not serious." Chewed-Ears remarked.

The silver-haired only laughed again. "…One…" he counted grimly.

"Boss I don't like the look in his eyes. Let's do what he says." No-Thumbs said shakily.

"Yeah, there's something _freaky_ about this guy. I mean just look at his face. He's been to the Facility and those guys ain't too right in their heads." Chewed- Ear said. By now, both him and No-Thumbs had released Carly and now stood looking from their boss to the silver-haired man fearfully.

"No way! There is no way in hell that I'm going to let some punk like this bully me around!" the leader said stubbornly.

"…Two. Last chance mortal." The silver-haired man spoke dangerously.

"…Boss."

"You could screw with me all you want. I could care less about your threats. This girl is mine!" the leader said, now holding Carly by the neck. This move only provoked the silver-haired man further and with that last stubborn act of foolishness, the leader's fate has already been sealed.

"Fine. Have it your way then," the silver haired man hissed, "Three."

At the last count, his voice rang throughout the alley like a booming command, hissing in the ears of the three men. The next thing the leader knew, his attention was forced to his former comrades as either of the two suddenly released deafening screams.

To the leader's dismay, both men were _turning_…turning to _**ash**_…their once pale human flesh now reduced to nothing but bodies of smoldering cinders as decrepitly black as coal. Smoke hissed from the surface of their blackened skins, the burning sensation devouring what was left of their humanity, until alas, their deadened corpses withered away to dust.

The leader's pale green eyes widened in fright at the sight of the remains of his former men. His face trembled…teeth chattering and in his haste to get away from whatever horrible infliction or more so **curse** that had befallen his brothers; he finally released Carly from his clasps as he attempted cowardly to escape his fate.

However, regrettably for the leader…this poor unfortunate man with the golden tooth…there was nowhere left for him to run nor hide. His luck had struck out the moment he dared to touch the body of a Dark Signer and as of that moment, he was about to receive the ultimate punishment. His torture was brief yet unbearably painful. From the moment he made the incline to escape, he was instantaneously apprehended by the silver-haired who suddenly appeared behind him in the blink of an eye and as his form towered menacingly over the leader's, the man did not even get the opportunity to scream as his head was suddenly bashed into the wall. Boned skull connected with hardened cement, ensuing in an explosion of crimson which ruptured against the wall, painting its surfaces in red. And all the silver-haired man did was maniacally taste the blood off of his fingertips as he slowly stepped away from what was left of the leader, revealing nothing except a pile of gory dust for him to spit on. Carly was confounded. Even though she was relieved to finally be rid of those three men, even she believed that they did not deserve a chastisement so _unpleasant_.

"Those men, what happened-what did you do to them?" Carly gasped shakily, staring between the remains of her previous harassers to the silver-haired murderer.

"They brought it upon themselves. Such is the faith of any mortal who dares to defy the Dark Signers," the silver-haired man replied uncaringly. He then held out his hand helpfully to Carly. "You okay?" he said, out of slight concern.

"Just a bit shaken but…I'm alright," Carly replied breathlessly as she accepted the man's hand, allowing him to help her back to her feet, "thank you…uhm…_Kiryuu_, is it? Misty informed me about you."

The silver-haired man…_Kiryuu_ nodded at his name. "Right she did and you must be Carly, right? The _newborn_. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," Kiryuu said, with as polite a smile he could have mustered on his permanently sneering face, "always nice to meet the new recruits especially _you_. You're the last one of our people and now thanks to you, we're finally prepared to defeat those accused Signers."

"So _newborn_, what brings you here? Shouldn't you be heading to your position at the **Four Stars of Destiny** to prepare for your upcoming battle?" Kiryuu inquired, tilting his head questioningly at his fellow Dark Signer.

"I was but as you saw I got a little sidetracked," Carly replied casually, "I also had a short encounter with one of the Signers previously."

"Ah. You mean _Jack_?" Kiryuu remarked knowingly.

"You know about that?" Carly said disbelievingly.

"We're Dark Signers, Carly. No secrets are hidden from us; even it concerns ourselves or each other. How do you think I was able to find you in time to save you from those bastards?" Kiryuu answered with a disgusted gesture at the remains of the three men, "I'm surprised that you weren't able to handle them yourself. Being the Dark Signer that you are, I assumed dealing with three weakling mortals would have been an easy task for a big girl like you. My mistake."

"I'm a _newborn_, remember? I'm still _adjusting_ to this form." Carly commented dryly.

"Right," Kiryuu said sarcastically, "anyways, let's change the subject to something more interesting. You said that you met up with Jack, right? So then that means that he knows that you're a Dark Signer, more alone his opponent. This is _perfect_."

"How is this perfect?" Carly said confusedly.

"When you were walking amongst the living, you and Jack were close, correct?" Kiryuu asked.

"I wouldn't exactly call us close," Carly responded dismally, "we were only…_acquaintances_. He was only with me because I helped it out when he was injured and I took care of him when he stayed with me at my apartment. Other than that, there was nothing deeper in our relationship. Nothing."

"That's not the way I heard it. According to Misty, Jack opened his heart to you and even though you might not believe so Carly, you're more important to him than you think," Kiryuu said, "and…now that dear Jack knows that his _beloved_ Carly is his destined Dark Signer counterpart, then wouldn't that make him feel a little bit…I don't know _uncomfortable_ even **guilty** on the battlefield against the woman he once considered his closest friend, hmm? Think about it,"

"Don't you see Carly? By meeting Jack, you've already _won_ your battle," Kiryuu stated with an animated smirk, "with _you_ as his opponent, one could expect that Jack would _hesitate_ to attack you in battle which gives you the _advantage_. And when he's at his _weakest_, you'll **crush** him until he's nothing more than a speck of useless dust underneath the wing of _Earthbound Immortal: _**Aslla Piscu**."

"Ah, if only I could be there to see the look on poor old Jack's face when he's brought to his knees by his little _girlfriend_. It would be…a most _delightful_ scene," Kiryuu cackled heartlessly, "then again I have _Yusei_ for that. He's then one I'm really looking forward to annihilating."

"How…how can you say that?" Carly said, disappointed by Kiryuu's harsh words towards his past comrades, "they are your friends. You were all closer than brothers. Jack…Yusei…both of them are your friends."

"They **were** my friends…until they _betrayed_ me!" Kiryuu hissed vituperatively, "It's _their_ fault that I'm like _this_. _This_ is all of _their_ doing especially Yusei's. He's the one I despise the **most**!"

"And when I'm through with him, there'll be nothing left of his pitiful existence in the **New World Order**-the _new world _where we, the **Dark Signers** shall rule as the kings and queen of all mankind. It would be a most _bittersweet_ **revenge** and I can't wait to taste it." Kiryuu snarled, licking his lips avariciously at the thought.

Carly only looked at him in astonishment by what he was saying. If those were the evil intentions of the Dark Signers then…why was Kiryuu apart of it? From Jack's tales of the old days with _Team Satisfaction_ and the takeover of the Satellite, he had been described as such a courageous and purely kindhearted fellow who had honoured his skills and cherished the friendship he had with the three men he called his teammates over his own life.

Kiryuu was selfless. A man who had the power to encourage the weakest of warriors to become the mightiest of champions with his words of wisdom and lead them only towards victory. A man who was respected for his valor and strength by all fortunate enough to know him.

If one were to compare the Kiryuu of the past with the Kiryuu of the present, he or she would never believe that either were the same person. The change was too drastic. Not even his own friends…his _brothers_ had recognized him.

Why Kiryuu…why are you a Dark Signer?

More importantly to Carly…why was _she_ a Dark Signer? It just did not make sense to her.

"Why Kiryuu? Why were **we** chosen to become _Dark Signers_?" Carly questioned softly, almost in a whisper. At first, Kiryuu was a tad thrown off by her question but nonetheless, he gave a truthful response. "It's because it was our fate to fight the Signers," Kiryuu said knowledgably, "didn't you recognize that each of us, the Dark Signers, are somewhat related to the Signers because we were all an important aspect of their lives at some point in our life. I'm not sure about Roman but the rest of us are connected to our Signer counterparts…almost like magnets or two sides of the same coin. Me to Yusei because of our past friendship. Misty to Aki because of her association with the death of her younger brother. Divac to that child Ruka because he has her precious dragon in his possession and lastly you and Jack…I think that connection is self explanatory,"

"And it was our connection with the Signers that caused us to become the Puppets of darkness that we are now because it was they who did this to us," Kiryuu continued, "don't you see yet Carly? The reason why we were chosen specifically to become Dark Signers was because of that bond we once had with our fated Signers. We were all reborn from our hatred towards them because it was there existence that caused us our grief. That's why we hate them and that's why we will destroy them one by one."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why was _I_ chosen to be a Dark Signer then?" Carly questioned miserably, "It was _Divine_ who did this to me, not Jack. So I should have no reason to resent him. I already took care of Divine and believe me his death was more than satisfying. All in all, I don't have a reason to fight Jack or hate him."

"Oh but you do, my naïve little newborn, you do," Kiryuu said darkly, "and do you wish to know why? I'll tell you. Your **hatred** for Jack stems from your **love** for him. I mean…wasn't it your unrequited love for Jack that drove your curiosity to dwell into matters that didn't concern you and persuaded you to go snooping around the old Arcadia Movement Headquarters? Wasn't it your love for Jack that made you into this, hmm?"

"The way how I see it Carly, it was your **love** for Jack that _truly_ turned you into a Dark Signer," Kiryuu stated, "sure it was Divine who forced you to duel for your life and then pushed you to your death fall however…admit it Carly, you didn't _have_ to go to the Arcadia Movement HQ building that night. You could have just as easily stayed safely inside your home in this city and continued living your regular mortal life but…you didn't, didn't you? You _chose_ the opposite. Why? All for the **love** of your _precious_ Jack Atlas…and look where it's gotten you."

"Therefore, to conclude my point, all of this is Jack's fault because if he had just been honest with you from the start, then you wouldn't have gone snooping around and you wouldn't be standing here before me baring _this_ mark," Kiryuu mocked mercilessly, snatching hold of Carly's arm and forcing it upward as he indicated to the bright mark that branded her as one of his people, "admit it Carly. You **do** have a reason to _hate_ Jack because it was him that killed you with his love. This is his doing and that's why you _will_ **hate** him."

"Shut up! Shut up! That's not true." Carly shouted objectively, pulling her arm away from Kiryuu.

"Oh but it _is_," Kiryuu continued in the same knowing tone that Carly now disliked, " you **hate** Jack because he didn't trust you enough to tell you everything about him and the Signers. You **hate** him for forcing you to your death and not caring about you enough to come save you when you fell to your demise but most importantly, you **hate** him for taking away your heart. The heart that made you do such _foolish_ things for _him_."

"It's not….true! It's not!" Carly practically screamed, scolding Kiryuu through tears.

…

…_It's all _**lies**_._

**None**_ of it is true._

_My feelings for Jack haven't changed. I still _**love**_ him._

_All this…this is _**not**_ his fault…_

…

…_But why didn't he come for me? If he cared about me…why wasn't he there for me?_

_He could have been there…to _**stop**_ Divine from dueling me…_

_He could have been there…to _**catch**_ me when I fell…_

_He could have come to my _**rescue**_…but yet still…he _**didn't**_ come to my aid and…he just left me there…to _**die**_!_

…

_Yes…and that is why you will _**hate**_ him._

…

No matter how hard Carly tried…no matter how much she wanted to believe in her feelings for Jack…there was still a part of her that couldn't help but agree with Kiryuu's words. It was the evil side of her…and it was that side that was winning the debate in her heart, the part that was overshadowing what was left of her old self…her human self. The person she used to be before she was turned into what she was now…a monster?

No. A _**demon**_.

…

…_And it's all his fault and that is why you will hate him_.

The evil voice sung in her mind.

Carly shook her head wildly, tears falling all over her face as she tried to divert those malevolent thoughts from her mind but to no avail. The voice of sin was stronger and it pained her emotionally. "I don't like this. It hurts. It's not fair." Carly whimpered. Beside her, Kiryuu stood observing her state wordlessly. Though his soul was presently tarnished by vice and revenge, there was still a part of him that felt the human emotion of sympathy towards his fellow Dark Signer and when he spoke to her, this time his voice was of concern and not malice.

"I know. I guess that's why they say that the truth always hurts. Such is the faith for any love-crazed fool," Kiryuu uttered, "tell me Carly, do you know of that old saying: All is fair in love and war?"

He was answered with a nod. "Well let me tell you this. That whole statement is a _lie_," Kiryuu said bluntly, "love and war is the _same_ cause. In _love_, we strive to shelter those that we care about the most. Love makes us want to do **anything** for our loves ones at the very cost of our sanities and lives; and it's that very love that also drives us into battle to fight for the same purpose of safeguarding our love ones and that, in turn, gives birth to _war_. Therefore, there is nothing _fair_ between love and war. Why? Because _love_ **is** _war_,"

"And…it is for that same reason why we Dark Signers shall face the Signers," Kiryuu went on, "the Signers _love_ this decrepit piece of rock they call their home because it's residence to the people of this city that they all know and care about. We, Dark Signers, on the other hand _love_ power and revenge and we want to take this world as our own, to destroy and rebuilt it into our perfect kingdom. We all _love_ different things and in the end, only one side can achieve their desires. The Signers are in our way of achieving what we want so that is why we will defeat them."

"What am I to do? I never asked for this? I never asked to become this." Carly cried, cupping her face in her hands. She then felt a hand against her cheek and was surprised that it was Kiryuu who now held her face gently in his hand, eying her closely.

"None of us did but this was our fate before we even knew it," Kiryuu said calmly, "we are who we are, my beautiful newborn. They are denizens of light while we are the bringers of darkness. Whether we like it or not, we cannot change our future, not now. This is the path that was inscribed to us by the hands of providence. _Your_ destiny…_my_ destiny…**our** destiny and only purpose for existence now is to kill the ones that we are destined to battle. No Signer must live…_including_ the one that you love so dearly. He also must die…by _your_ hands and you know that very well don't you, Carly?"

"I do," Carly said, looking away disappointedly, "but answer me this Kiryuu, if we defeat the Signers and the world becomes ours, what will become of _me_? Jack is the only man I've ever truly loved and he in turn, is the only man who has ever shown me true affection. Without him, who will **love** _me_ then? By then, I'll be alone."

"Not entirely, you'll have _me_," Kiryuu said, "if it's a _strong_ man that you seek, I'll be more than willing to take Jack's place at your side and in your heart if you let me?"

Carly's eyes widened at Kiryuu's statement. Never had she expected him to suggest something like that, at least not to her. She had to confess to herself that, even in his seemingly psychotic state, Kiryuu still retained the facial and bodily features that deemed him very attractive. His good-looking qualities even rivaled that of Jack's. At the very thought of the two being considered a _pairing_ for the undecided future, Carly immediately shied away, blushing even under her deathly pale complexion.

"Kiryuu…I don't know. I hardly know you." Carly stammered blushingly.

Kiryuu merely smiled charismatically at the girl's response to his request. "I don't _need_ to," he said vehemently, "we are both Dark Signers, aren't we? The Giant and the Hummingbird. I am also a _man_ and you are a _woman_. It was a man and woman who were able to reproduce and evolve the first world into a growing population of great cities and it's going to take a man and woman to rebuild the **new** world that the Dark Signers will bring. I will be very happy if you were by my side Carly...as _my_ **queen** and _my_ **lover**."

"By why _me_? Wouldn't you prefer Misty?" Carly said.

"Misty _is_ stunning," Kiryuu admitted candidly, "but I don't _prefer_ her as much as I prefer you. She's not _interesting_ enough to satisfy me my lust. I find you rather…_exquisite_ Carly. One good thing about Jack is that he has _excellent_ taste in women."

As he spoke, Kiryuu trailed his finger lazily yet soothingly across Carly's face.

His touch, though cold from death, felt almost _comforting _against Carly's fragile skin and her pale cheeks flushed bright pink as Kiryuu's finger stopped on the underline of her mouth. Particularly, he was eyeing her _lips_ very carefully…merely contemplating on what he should do with them.

They were ever so very _pale_. A result of the cold clutches of fatality, no doubt. Nevertheless Kiryuu could not help wondering to himself what would happen if he were to press his lips to hers, filling her with warmth.

Can he fill her with warmth…the same way how the young man, whose presence she cherished dearly in her heart, did in the past. Will his warmth be enough for her? Enough to even make her forget him?

I guess Kiryuu would just have to _test_ his theory, wouldn't he?

Without hesitation, Kiryuu pulled Carly into him, pressing his lips to hers in a kiss. To say that the kiss was _bad_ would be an understatement however to say that it was not good would be a misinterpretation.

To become Dark Signers, the two had to discard all the sentiments that made them human, becoming only shells of abhorrence so one would understand, if the feelings that one usually feels when being kissed would come faintly to a Dark Signer. Though faint, either Kiryuu or Carly felt the tingling sensation-it was the sensation of life, the feeling that reminded them of the times when they used to be human and amongst people that cared about them. When they used to be alive.

They both enjoyed that strange sensation and unwilling to let that feeling disappear; the two deepened their kiss, unable to control their hunger.

"Kiryuu…" Carly moaned lustfully against Kiryuu. Unfortunately for the two Dark Signers, the wonderful kiss that reminded them of being alive again, in due course, had to come to an end.

"The sun's coming up." Carly breathed to Kiryuu as the two, alas, separated, both now looking towards the skies. Surely enough, there was the sun. The top of its orangey-red head peeping over the Southern mountains in the far distance.

"Yes. The dawn of a new day and a new world draws near," Kiryuu remarked grimly, "we must go. Wouldn't want to keep our expected guests waiting, right?

"Right." Carly said.

"Also Carly. Do be careful in your fight against Jack," Kiryuu said cautiously, "he may no longer be the King of Games but he's still a very strong duelist. He'll probably be tough to beat however…I have faith in your abilities too.

"Thank you Kiryuu and…good luck in your battle too." Carly said in return, smiling lightly.

"Oh I don't need luck. With this card alone, I've already won." Kiryuu said smirking confidently as he flashed the Duel Monsters game card imprisoning **Earthbound Immortal:** _Ccapac Apu_ to Carly's face. The girl simply nodded her head.

"Oh and one more thing Carly." Kiryuu said.

"Yes?" Carly asked.

"About what I said, concerning _us_…I **do** mean it and for your sake and our kind, please reconsider." Kiryuu said seriously. With that final statement made, Kiryuu left with nothing else to say to the Dark Signer female as he ushered away to prepare himself for the fight that awaited him at the Four Stars of Destiny.

And as she stared after his retreating form, Carly touched her fingers to her lips, sighing disappointedly. **"**Oh Kiryuu." She whispered softly.

With one last look towards the shining dawn, probably the _last_ sunrise she would ever see, Carly pulled her hood over her face as she alas left towards her own battle. An unfaithful battle that she dreaded with every step that she took.

…

_Oh Kiryuu…_

…_If only I could have said the same about _**our**future_ but…I can't. _

…_No matter how much you may say that you like me or more so…_**love**_ me…_

…_No matter how many times you may _**kiss**_ me, it would _**never**_ be the same. _

_I will only look at you and see _**his**_ face._

_Why?_

_Because…my heart still and _**always**_ will belong to _Jack_…_

_And though I would love desperately to tell him that. It's too late now. This _**must**_ be done. _

…_Jack…I'm sorry. But…I _**must**_ do this. _

_I must hurt you yet again…even though my heart screams to embrace you one last time._

…

…**Jack**_…_

…**Kiryuu**_…_

_Both of you._

…_Forgive me.

* * *

_**Mission 01 Complete**! _A Request By _**TeamSatisfactionFangirl**. Hope you liked it 83

* * *

**Mistress**: Hey dudes and dudettes! Here I am with another update. Though there was additionally some chips of **Retributionshipping** in this pizza pie, this chapter was solely dedicated to fans of **Novashipping** (Kiryuu and Carly). A request from my lucky 90th reviewer. I have to say this was my first time writing Novashipping. Even though I chose to write the story from the point when both characters were Dark Signers, I hope I did okay and I hope you guys still liked it.  
Let me know what you guys honestly think of this chapter. Y'know my motto. The next chapter will be dedicated to one of my two lucky 100th reviewers. To see whose request is up next and which pairing they chose, y'know the drill, you will have to wait until the next update and I'll only update faster if I get a lot of reviews ;D

Until next time. Hope you guys are enjoying your summertime in the sun by the way. I know I am. Yesterday I went to the movies and saw Twilight's Eclipse and Predators with my friends. It was great and if I'm having fun, I hope you all are too =D. Laterz  
~Mistress

* * *

**120**+ reviews! **14000**+ Hits! Wow! This fanfic is really heating up. Thank you all for your reviews and your continuous support. You guys are **awesome**. Free Kiryuu plushies for all!

_**Please** review! **Critiques** are welcomed too._


	14. Puppy Love

**Chapter Fourteen:**

"_Puppy Love"_

_2: 30 PM_

That was the time when the giant round clock chimed boomingly from its residence within the clock tower over at the Duel Academy in New Domino City announcing to all and sundry the end of yet another productive day of school.

As the hordes of students, junior as well as senior classmen, all cleared out of the school compound with their backpacks slung over their shoulders and the leather pouches containing their precious decks of Duel Monster cards safely secured in their pockets; amongst the group of scurrying children making their safe journey home were the twins: Rua and Ruka who were exiting through the school gates accompanied by their friends and fellow classmates: Bob, Patty and Tenpei.

But before the five friends could have gone their separates way on the journey homeward bound, they were all pulled into an interesting conversation which started with an innocent question from Patty.

"So what are you guys planning to do for St. Cioccolata?" Patty questioned, peering back at her four comrades with a curious look on her face as she skipped in front of them, "Are you thinking of giving chocolates to anyone in particular?"

"Why would we want to give anyone chocolates? It's just another stupid holiday that the girls go gaga over." Rua commented dryly with an indifferent shrug. Tenpei and Bob both nodded in agreement.

"Just another stupid holiday! Are you guys for real?" Patty said, staring at all three boys in disbelief, "St. Cioccolata is the second best holiday event next to Christmas and Valentine's Day. It's a time for giving out delicious chocolates to that special person in your life as a token to show them just how much you care about them and cherish them in your life. It's just so _romantic_. I get goosebumps every time I think about it."

There were gleaming stars in Patty's eyes and her cheeks were flushed as she smiled broadly at the thought of tasting delicious chocolates given to her by a secret admirer. Unfortunately for her, none of her male friends were eager to join her in her excitement.

"Lame." Tenpei snorted.

"Yeah boring." Bob chimed in nonchalantly.

"Uh huh." Rua remarked impassively.

"Sheesh! You guys are no fun at all. I mean where's your St. Cioccolata spirit?" Patty groaned, pouting babyishly.

"Down the drain which is exactly where our wallets will be if we wasted our time spending valuable income on something as measly as chocolates." Tenpei grunted, adjusting his glasses as he added up all the variable costs on an imaginary calculator.

"Yeah what Dexter said." Bob said.

"What about _making_ chocolates? Chocolates always taste better when they're made with love," Patty suggested enthusiastically, "personally I'd love any guy who can make me a decent batch of chocolates, regardless of how good or bad they might turn out. The effort alone with be just as sweet to take my breath away and have me in his arms in a heartbeat."

"You don't say." Rua said.

"Big deal. It's still silly." Tenpei grunted disagreeably.

He was rewarded with another disappointed pout courtesy of Patty. "Forgive them Patty, they're _boys_. They wouldn't understand the importance of a holiday like this even it bit them in the butt." Ruka said with a reassuring smile as she patted her friend on the shoulder.

"I guess you're right Ruka," Patty said understandably, "man I feel sorry for the poor girls who were planning to give _you_ guys chocolates for St. Cioccolata. They're going to be **so** _disappointed_."

"Well what would you expect from…wait! Did you just say that we're going to get chocolates? Girls are actually making chocolates for _us_?" Tenpei said ogling Patty in surprise.

"Well…I'm not exactly sure. Ruka and I were in the girls' bathroom yesterday when we overheard some of the girls from our homeroom talking about how excited they were about St. Cioccolata," Patty explained, "some of them even mentioned the names of the boys they were planning to give chocolates to."

"Seriously? Whoa. Did…did any one of those girls happen to mention _my_ name. Huh? Huh?" Bob inquired hopefully.

"Or _me_? What about me?" Tenpei asked keenly.

"Well, well, well, look who's finally interested in St. Cioccolata all of a sudden, hmm?" Patty said with a pleased smirk, "Anyways to answer your questions, I think I heard Yukina Miyashima mention your name Bob."

"She _did_? Oh wow!" Bob said, a happy smile playing at his lips.

"Who's Yukina Miyashima?" Rua questioned.

"Are you kidding me? Dude Yukina is only one of the top-ranked duelists in our year." Tenpei justified. "She's also the _cutest_ girl I've ever laid my eyes on," he added, smiling blushingly with a tiny drop of drool trickling at the side of his mouth as he absently fantasized the face of his beloved Yukina. "I don't get it. What does she see in Bob?" Tenpei griped frowning over at Bob almost invidiously.

"_Jealous_ are we?" Bob retorted teasingly.

"Don't worry Tenpei, I bet you'll be getting a lot chocolates from girls too," Patty assured perkily, "as a matter of fact from what I've heard buzzing around the academy, looks like the majority of the girl population will be preparing homemade chocolates for the boys that they like."

"All the other kids in our homeroom are doing it, boys as well as girls." Ruka stated.

"Are you girls planning to make homemade chocolates too?" Bob asked.

"You bet and I already have the cooking equipment and the different chocolate dessert recipes set for this afternoon." Patty replied proudly.

"What happens this afternoon?" Rua asked.

"Ruka and I are going to have a little cooking session," Patty answered brightly, "it'll give us both a chance to improve our culinary skills so that one day we'll be able to prepare delicious chocolates made to perfection, for our future _boyfriends_, of course."

"Uhm…I'm just tagging along because she told me to. Nothing special." Ruka mentioned innocently.

"Oh so then you're not thinking of giving chocolates to anyone _special_. Speaking of which, _who_ are you planning on giving chocolates to Ruka? Is it **Sly**?" Patty said, eyeing her friend suspiciously.

"What! No! I already told you Patty that I'm not going to tell you who my chocolates will be for," Ruka said, "it's a _secret_."

"Aw shucks and I thought we were supposed to be BFFFLs. Y'know best female friends for life." Patty said huffily.

"Sorry. I'll tell you who it is _after_ I've given it to him, okay?" Ruka implied with a wink, "Besides you haven't told me who you're planning to give chocolates to."

"Well I _was_ but…since you plan on keeping secrets; if you won't tell me the name of _your_ secret **crush** then I won't tell you the name of mine." Patty harrumphed .

"Suit yourself." Ruka replied simply. She then did a double-take when she realized the implication Patty had made. "Wait who said anything about a cru…" Ruka started but her statement was silenced by Patty who had already moved on to another subject and was coaxing the boys.

"So are you guys gonna make chocolates? Like Ruka said, even the guys are doing it." Patty said.

"I'm not sure. I can barely make myself a sandwich much alone chocolates." Tenpei said sarcastically.

"Aww it's not that hard, honest. I'll even show you how to do it myself. Since Ruka and I are having our cooking session at my house, you guys are more than welcomed to join us if you like." Patty said invitingly.

"Really? Thanks a lot Patty." Bob said smiling appreciatively

"Can I come too?" Tenpei asked.

"Of course you can," Patty answered sweetly. She then turned to Rua beaming toothily. "What about you Rua? Want to make chocolates with us?" Patty asked exultantly.

"Umm…I don't think so." Rua replied blatantly. At his response, Patty moped a little and Rua in turn smiled uncomfortably. Conversely, Ruka eyed her brother strangely."Aw why not? It'll be fun. Besides Rua, isn't there someone special that you would love to give chocolates too?" Ruka questioned curiously.

"Yeah Rua, isn't there a girl that you like?" Tenpei asked, nudging his friend tauntingly.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Is it _me_?" Patty said playfully, "I wouldn't be surprised if its me since I'm the cutest girl you know besides your sister." Initially, Patty had meant that remark as an innocent gag to brighten Rua's morose mood however unfortunately he took it as _more_ than a joke. In fact he took it **seriously** for Rua suddenly staggered back, cheeks as red as apples.

"Y…You! Why would I like **you**? Don't kid yourself Patty; I could never like you _that_ way!" Rua said shaking his head hysterically.

"Sheesh Rua, you don't have to make such a big deal about it. I was only kidding. I mean I know you and I could never be like that. I'm too _cute_ to be your _girlfriend_ besides we're **just** friends, right?" Patty said, poking Rua's cheek good-naturedly.

"Right…a-and don't you forget that. I only like you as a _friend_ and…t-that's it," Rua stammered awkwardly, "besides even if I _did_ like someone, they **wouldn't** be _you_ and even if I did, I would **never** give _you_ chocolates especially **not** for St. Cioccolata. That'd be a **waste** of my time. And even if I wanted to make chocolates, the **last** person I'd ever give them to is _you_ Patty."

Before anyone could have stopped him or before he could have prevented himself from saying such hurtful things, the words had already slipped out of Rua's mouth and now he stood looking at the damage he had inflicted. Patty, whose face had previously deemed an expression of chipper vitality now held a look of utter discontent as the words finally sunk in and now…her spirit had been broken by just those few words.

"…I…see," Patty murmured dejectedly, "well if you must know…even if you didn't like me or…even if I was the last person you'd give chocolates to…_you_ would still be the **first** person I'd give mine to."

"I…would?" Rua repeated shamefacedly.

"Yeah. Sorry that I'm not that special to you." Patty mumbled miserably and before anyone could have stopped her, she walked off without another word to Rua or anyone else as she wordlessly left her friends behind.

"Oh Patty." Rua sighed regretfully.

"Patty?" Bob called behind his friend in an attempt to bring her back. Unfortunately, it was futile. She was already gone. As they observed Patty walk away in silence, neither able to find the words to bring her back, Ruka turned and glowered disdainfully at her twin. "Rua, what was that? Why'd you have to say something so horrible to Patty?" Ruka yelled furiously.

"Yeah!" Tenpei and Bob both chorused in agreement. "Does this mean that we're not gonna be making chocolates?" Tenpei added inquiringly while Bob nodded in similar thought.

"Is that all that you guys care about? Patty's feelings were hurt." Ruka snapped.

"By _your_ brother." Bob pointed out bluntly.

"Listen Rua, because you were so mean to Patty, don't even bother coming to make chocolates with us. We'll make them without you and I'm going to make an entire bucket load which I'm not going to share with you until you apologize to Patty." Tenpei grumbled, sticking his tongue at Rua indignantly.

Rua merely rolled his eyes at him."That's if you don't burn all of them first." he grumbled ironically. Tenpei scowled at the insult and he opened his mouth again to give a snide retort however before he could have uttered another word to Rua, Bob stopped him before he could have worsened the already tense situation.

"Uhm…let's go Tenpei. Cooking always makes Patty cheerful and if she's in a better mood at the end of this, she might even let us lick the bowl." Bob suggested wholeheartedly.

"Guess you're right." Tenpei said, breathing calmly. Making sure to cast one last maddened glance in Rua's direction, Tenpei smirked willingly as he allowed Bob to lead him off after Patty. As she too made her way to leave with the other two boys, before she left, Ruka peered back at her brother with a smug look on her face.

"For what it's worth Rua, even if you weren't giving any chocolates to her, Patty would have been more than happy if it were from _**you**_." Ruka commented sincerely. With that said, she left after Tenpei and Bob. As he watched his friends leave him behind to pursue the friend whose feelings he had hurt, Rua heaved a disgruntled sigh.

'…_Yeah. I know_…' he thought sadly.

* * *

_11:45 PM_

It was almost midnight when Ruka was aroused from her sleep by a sudden crashing sound.

"Huh? What's going on?" Ruka murmured groggily, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she acknowledged the strange noise.

Immediately the young girl jolted from her bed and wearing nothing but her pink pajamas, she tiptoed her way downstairs listening closely for the source of the noise. Apparently, as it turned out, the ruckus was resonating from inside of the kitchen.

As Ruka make her way into the small apartment kitchenette she was welcomed by a scene that nearly made her jaw go through the floor. It was brought to her attention that her kitchen was a complete _mess_. Soiled kitchen utensils were left scattered on top the counters, a strange beige to dark brown substance that oddly resembled caramel oozing from their stainless steel tips. Pots and pans, stained from crevice to aluminum crevice in another weird brownish concoction, were left discarded in the kitchen sink which was presently overloaded with other dirty kitchen equipment.

Trails of powdered sugar and condensed milk traced from the wooden kitchen cupboards, leaving fresh fingerprints that clearly implied that someone had been using them beforehand.

The rubbish bin was piled to the brim in discarded bags, bottles and cans of various food and milk-based products which were seemingly used as the ingredients in whatever culinary experiment had occurred that night. The refrigerator door was left ajar while the kitchen oven was lit a fire and was currently emitting a fetid stench that smelt like burned rubber.

But the kitchen was not what shocked Ruka. What surprised her the most was that in the middle of all the untidiness and rumpus, she discovered her twin Rua who was presently running about the kitchen, wearing nothing but an embroidered frilly white apron stained in the same brown substance that lined the dirty pots and pans in the sink over his matching blue PJs to contrast with his sister's pink ones. His slightly burnt fingers were flaying frantically as he attempted to salvage a bowl of tap water to scorch the fire that was threatening to destroy the remnants of what he had been attempting to make for the past few hours.

Outing the dimly lit flame with his bowl of water, Rua breathed a sigh of relief as he managed to diminish the minor combustion.

Snatching a pair of green and white oven mitts from off the small rack on the kitchen wall, Rua quickly put them on as he opened the oven. Pushing his hand into the mouth of the beast, Rua fished out a square iron tray.

Apparently he had been trying to make something but unfortunately his trials had gone up in smoke because all he got were multiple piles of charred ash.

Groaning inwardly, Rua murmured something under his breath as he overturned his failed work, dumping it all in the trash along with the rest before tossing the grimy tray into the sink. Just he was about to call it quits and pack it in for the night, Rua almost jumped out his skin as he was startled by a tiny voice that called his name. "Rua?"

Rather stiffly, Rua turned around to face the curious eyes of his sister who stood behind him, overlooking all the mess with an expression on her face that clearly implied that she wanted answers and wanted them immediately.

"Ah Ruka, wha-what are you doing up so late?" Rua stuttered nervously.

"I should be asking you the same question," Ruka replied coolly, "what are you doing in the kitchen?"

"Uh well I…uh…couldn't sleep so I thought I'd make myself a nice cup of milk." Rua lied, holding up the tin of powdered milk in his defense. Ruka only quirked a brow at him in obvious disbelief.

"Milk? Since when do you make milk using flour and chocolate sauce?" Rua commented knowingly, indicating to the opened jar of chocolate sauce and abandoned bag of floor that stood adjacent on the kitchen counter.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I was making _chocolate milk_?" Rua said, scratching the back of his head and laughing uneasily.

"Uhm no. Nice try bro." Ruka said with a light smile. She then inspected the dirty dishes and the stacks of neglected ingredients. "Wait a minute; you were making chocolates, weren't you?" Ruka accused looking suspicious.

"Of…course not. Chocolates are lame. Why would I want to make chocolates?" Rua said artlessly with an innocent shake of his head.

"Your first attempts failed, huh?" Ruka asked knowingly.

"I tried it _six_ times and I ruined them all," Rua answered with a sigh. He then brought forward a tray of one of his failures, holding up one of the charcoal-coloured pieces of hardened chocolates up for Ruka to taste. "Here try it." He instructed.

"Uhm…no thanks. I'll pass," Ruka said, politely declining the burnt treat, "so what's your substitute for the chocolates?"

"Well since the chocolates failed I decided to make a chocolate cake instead," Rua explained, "but as you can see, that's not coming along quite well."

"A chocolate cake sounds delicious. What makes me curious is _who_ all of this effort is for? It's not like you to do something like this." Ruka said.

"Why do you have to be like that? Can't a guy make a nice cake without being asked so many questions?" Rua said mulishly. Once again, his sister interpreted his true motives through his stubborn response.

"I was right. It's for a _girl_," Ruka said, "so? Who is it?"

"I'm not telling you." Rua grumbled.

"Aw c'mon Rua, tell me who it is please." Ruka said imploringly.

"No." Rua said firmly. Unfortunately for him, his twin was very _persistent_.

"Tell me."

"No!"

"Tell me or else I'll read your secret diary." Ruka said portentously.

"Huh? How do you know about my internet journal?" Rua said looking incredulous.

"I didn't but thanks for telling me about it, dear brother of mine." Ruka said pinching her brother's cheeks.

"Aargh! You're so nosy. Fine! If you must know, it's for…_Patty_." Rua answered softly, blushing slightly.

"Patty? **Our** _Patty_! Wow! I didn't know you _liked_ Patty." Ruka said staring at Rua in astonishment.

"I never said that!" Rua spoke up defensively.

"So…you don't like her." Ruka said confusedly.

"I never said that either. It's just that I feel so bad about what I said to Patty today," Rua said, "I never should have said something so horrible and I really hurt her feelings. She's our friend…_my_ friend. I care about her too much to risk our friendship over this."

Ruka smiled humbly at her brother's statement. "Aww Rua, that's so sweet how you like Patty." She stated cheerfully.

"I don't like Patty." Rua objected."Well…maybe I like her a _little_ bit," he added quietly, the blush painting his cheeks deepening at his confession, "but she doesn't have to know that."

Nevertheless, Ruka smiled understandingly. "Gotcha," she giggled lightheartedly, "well since this is a _forgiveness_ present for Patty, if you want, I can help you make it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. What are sisters for?" Ruka said beaming at her brother considerately. She then grabbed another apron hanging from the rack; a burgundy one this time with laced flower patterns decorating the front, before moving over to the counter where she retrieved a clean mixing bowl from the cupboard, already reaching for the bag of flour and the remains of the bottle of chocolate sauce.

"Now let's get cracking on this cake while we're still awake, shall we?" Ruka declared affirmatively, rolling up the sleeves of her pajama blouse as she instructed Rua to bring her three eggs from the fridge.

Rua only smiled thankfully as he obediently attended to the ingredients that his sister asked him to bring.

* * *

_Two hours later…_

After minutes spent cracking and measuring…mixing and whisking…pouring and baking…decorating and packaging, following their combined hard work, alas the two children had accomplished their task.

Now the twins sat admiring the fruits of their collaborated labour and effort as it stood propped on the interior of a bubble gum pink cake box. The box itself had been magnificently festooned with brightly-coloured heart-shaped stickers, courtesy of the sister, in conjunction with various other homemade decorations which included a hand drawn picture of a Winged Kuriboh posing as cupid while holding a giant red heart. This very sketch was coloured nicely in Copic Ciao markers on the exterior of the box, making it perfectly prepared to be given to the delightful little girl destined to possess it.

"Do you think she'll like it?" Rua muttered fretfully, inspecting his baked work of art with an air of apprehension. However his anxiety was put at ease as Ruka wrapped her arm around his shoulder, grinning at him with that look of assurance that always gave him confidence.

"She'll love it. Trust me." Ruka said self-assuredly.

* * *

_7:30 AM_

The next day, Rua arrived at school almost quaking in his shoes. In his grasps he held the key to helping him win back his friend. A well-prepared cake that was baked in her name. Despite the fact that Ruka stood behind him one hundred percent, cheering him on as he walked through the school gates, Rua still could not help but feel worried at what he was about to do.

He felt even more on edge when he noticed a familiar head of golden blonde tresses combed in pigtails run across the school front lawn.

There was a reason why Rua has arrived at school thirty minutes earlier. He knew that was the time when _**she**_ always arrived at school promptly and he was hoping that he would get an opportunity to apologize to her before she entered class. Still Rua could not quell the uneasiness building up in his chest as he stepped across the grass that morning. _Her_ name was the first thing he said as he called out to her.

"Hey Patty! Patty, wait up!" Rua shouted.

Intentionally, Patty stopped in her tracks. She spun around with a polite smile intending to greet the person who had called out to her with a pleasant good-morning however when she realized that that very person was actually Rua, she frowned despite herself. "Oh it's just _you_ Rua," Patty uttered grouchily, "what do you want? Come to scold me again like yesterday."

Rua winced at her antagonism but nonetheless he looked at Pat imploringly, reasoning with her to hear him out."Listen Pat, I'm really sorry about what I said to you the other day. I was a real jerk." Rua said apologetically.

"Damn right you were. I mean why would you say something so horrible like that to me? Aren't we friends? Don't you like me?" Patty said, looking at Rua unhappily.

"Actually I do. I _really_ do, **more** than you think," Rua answered honestly, turning red at the implication made in his response, "that's why I said what I said because I didn't want you to know my _true_ feelings. That I really…_**like**_ you."

"You…like me?" Patty repeated shyly, her own face turning pink despite her dark-skinned complexion.

Rua nodded truthfully, this time with assurance. "Though I didn't mean to really hurt your feelings like that,  
he said, "and I hope you can forgive me. And to make sure that you do I…made you this."

Rua held out the box to Patty which she gratefully accepted. Patty smiled at the fashion in which the box was decorated, giggling as her fingers traced the outline of the Winged Kuriboh holding the giant heart. However when she opened the box, she practically gasped at what she found inside. Inside the box was a properly baked chocolate cake shaped squarely.

The dessert was delicately painted in coatings of two different types of chocolate. The top was layered in rich dark chocolate sauce whereas the bottom half tasted of creamy milk chocolate. Tiny chunks of chocolate chips and little toffee cuboids ornamented the surface of the cake lining the edges and at the centre of the cake, surrounded by a hedge of sweetened cherries dipped in caramel, was a candied representation of the Duel Monster Watapon.

The illustration was made from a mosaic of various heart-shaped chocolate candy, purple for its eyes while the rest was dominated in white. Lastly, above the sweetie version of Watapon were the words _Forgive Me Patty_ spelt out in chocolate icing. Patty stared at the cake in amazement. It looked as excellent as it was yummy.

"Happy St. Cioccolata Patty." Rua declared with a broad smile.

"Rua-Wow! This looks _amazing_ and… aww the candies' shaped like Watapon. How adorable," Patty cooed delightedly, "did you really make this all by yourself Rua and is it really for me?"

"Actually I can't take all the credit. Ruka helped me with it but I did make it _especially_ for you," Rua replied, "do you like it?"

"Are you kidding me? I _love_ it! Thank you so much," Patty said gratefully, "ooh and before I forget, here's something for you." Reaching into her shoulder bag, Patty fished out a small rectangular gold box tied with a purple ribbon. She handed it to Rua.

"You made chocolates for me?" Rua said eyeing the box skeptically.

"Don't be silly, I made chocolates for everyone in our class including Miss Maria." Patty clarified. "But…" Patty blushed. "I made these chocolates especially for you." she said sheepishly.

Rua smiled. Opening the box, he grinned as he lifted one of the tiny pieces of chocolates that filled the box. They were all shaped like his favourite Synchro Monster-Power Tool Dragon.

"Wow! They're all shaped like Power Tool Dragon. This is so cool." Rua said gladly as he bit off the head of the chocolate impersonation of his faithful beast, cheeks reddening jubilantly as the chocolate melted in his mouth.

"How do they taste? Are-are they okay?" Patty inquired coyly.

"More than okay. I _love_ them." Rua said, smiling modestly.

"And…I'm glad that you love them." Patty said beaming brightly. For the next couple of minutes, Patty and Rua stood staring at each affectionately. For a moment it almost seemed as if they were about to lean in and do something _else_ however just as their lips were inches from each others, a loud voice interrupted their tender moment. As it turned out, the voice belonged to Tenpei who was sprinting his way towards the two of them with Bob at his heels. Either boys were carrying loads of candy in their hands as they approached Rua and Patty.

"Yo guys, glad you finally made it to school." Tenpei said bounding up to his fellow classmates and grinning toothily, chocolate staining his teeth.

"Yeah we just got here. Whoa look at all the chocolates you guys got," Rua said, indicating to the handfuls of chocolates of every size occupying his friends' hands, "did you really get that from the girls in our class?"

"Girls in our class, girls in _other_ classes. My desk was just overflowing with this stuff. It seems like I'm more popular with the ladies that I thought I was." Tenpei said smirking proudly.

"And there's a lot more where these came from," Bob said munching on a chocolate bar as he spoke, "they're even plenty for you guys. I saw a couple of boxes on your desks too plus Maria-sensei even brought a chocolate velvet cake to share with the class."

"Awesome, let's go!" Patty exclaimed enthusiastically, pumping a fist. But before she could have skipped off towards her homeroom, Rua grabbed her arm looking at her almost embarrassedly.

"Umm Patty, about my…y'know confessing that I like you thing," Rua whispered timidly, "do you…y'know…"

"Feel the same way?" Patty interrupted inquiringly. Rua nodded shyly. 'Well all I can say to that is _this_." Patty said and as she spoke, she daringly leaned in and kissed Rua on his cheek. "Does that answer your question?" Patty cooed affectionately as she leaned away to observe Rua's reaction with a flirty wink. At first the green-haired teen didn't say anything but then he sighed dreamily, grinning rather goofily with his cheeks so flushed they looked like two meatballs.

"I think it does." Rua said, sighing as he smiled blushingly. Patty, in turn, beamed enthusiastically at Rua with her own cheeks, flushed.

"Umm do you want to explain _that_?" Tenpei asked confusedly, gesturing between the two love struck kids with a baffled glance at Bob. Bob only shrugged. The boy then turned his attention to Ruka who was standing outside the gate observing the scene from afar with a satisfied grin at Rua and Patty. "Coming Ruka?" Bob called.

Ruka, on the other hand shook her head. "You guys go on ahead. There's something that I need to do first." She replied.

"Okay. We'll save you a slice of cake." Bob shouted back.

"Cool I'll be right back." Ruka said as she sprinted off to an unknown destination.

"I wonder who Ruka's going to give her chocolates too." Tenpei pondered curiously.

"I dunno. She still didn't tell me even after I told her that I was giving mine to Rua." Patty said.

"Oh no! You guys don't think that Ruka has a _secret_ **boyfriend**, do you?" Rua said, tugging at his hair hysterically "Is it _Sly_? Please tell me it's not Sly? It is Sly, isn't it? He's the one dating my sister isn't he?"

"Classical overprotective brother moment. Never get tired of seeing that." Tenpei chuckled.

"Uhm Patty, you mind taking care of your _boyfriend_ before he throws a fit." Bob said.

"Tenpei, this is **serious**. As Ruka's twin and brother, I have a right to know the kind of guy she's going to give her chocolate too," Rua retorted crazily, "and-wait! What do you mean by boy…"

"C'mon _lover-boy_, let's head to class." Patty interrupted serenely, taking Rua's hand into hers as she led him off to their class.

* * *

It was fifteen minutes later when Ruka found herself standing outside the apartment door home to Yusei's friends from the Satellite-Taka, Nerve, Blitz and Rally.

Unbeknownst to anyone else except Yusei and probably Jack and Crow, the four boys had taken up residence in New Domino City following its reconstruction and were presently renting a small two bedroom apartment house in the Tops which they were fortunately able to afford thanks to Yusei's generous assistance. Ruka also knew of the four of them staying in the city having visited them a few times, becoming a regular face in their home next to Yusei who visited often when he was not preoccupied preparing for the WRGP. To be quite frank, Rua had mostly come to visit Rally, a routine she found herself doing rather often in the past month since the two had recently become close friends. And as much as she wouldn't like to admit to herself, Ruka liked having Rally as a one of her male companions and often enjoyed the times she spend in his company.

Ruka knocked on the door.

"I'll get it." a voice called from inside. Sooner or later, someone came to answer the door and it was Taka. The chubby-faced young man grinned from ear to ear as soon as he saw Ruka. "Hey it's Ruka, what brings you to this side of town? Shouldn't you be in school?" Taka greeted the young girl, noticing that she was wearing her uniform.

"Well I should but I was just in the neighbourbood and I thought I'd pay a visit to you guys and give you this." Ruka said. In her hand, she brandished a brightly coloured gift bag holding three separate boxes of homemade chocolates. Smiling, Ruka held out the bag for Taka. "Happy St. Cioccolata." She said thoughtfully.

"Wow, thanks a lot Ruka," Taka said licking his lips as he accepted the chocolates, "that was awfully sweet of you."

"It was my pleasure." Ruka said pleasantly, "by the way…is _Rally_ home by any chance?"

"Uhm Rally…?" Taka glimpsed back. Just as he mentioned his name, Rally poked his head from behind Taka's back. He was wearing nothing but a light blue cotton vest and a pair of orange track pants. His gingery red hair was combed in a ponytail that day-a look which Ruka mentally thought better suited him.

"Hey Ruka. What brings you here?" Rally said cheerfully.

"Oh I just came to give you something…_in person_." Ruka answered bashfully. She nodded at Taka and Rally got the hint that she wanted the two of them to be alone together."Oh, okay. Hey Taka do you mind giving us some privacy please?" Rally said.

"Sure. Anything for you and your _girlfriend_." Taka teased with a sly wink at Rally as he made off with the chocolates. Rally turned pink in the face at the inference. "Hey! That's not-Shut up!" he griped after a sniggering Taka. When he was finished, he turned back to Ruka, feeling a tad embarrassed. "S…Sorry about that." He said.

"It's okay." Ruka assured.

"So…uhm…what's this thing you have to give me?" Rally inquired.

"It's St. Cioccolata and I thought that I'd drop by and give you this." Ruka said. From her own bag, she gave Rally his own box of chocolates.

Inside the polygonal package were rows of an assortment of chocolates, each of a different shape and size and were made of different kinds of chocolates. Some were shaped like plain chocolate balls, perfectly round without a single flaw in their shape. Others formed squares made of white chocolate which were baked with a chewy yet zesty surprise awaiting its taster at its core. A couple were coatings of chocolate sauce sandwiched between two identical chocolate biscuits. The minority were shaped like little chocolate roses decked with macadamia nuts while the remaining majority rendered heart-shapes and were lined with traces of strawberry jelly. All little bits of heaven made to satisfy a man's heart through his hungering stomach. "Wow these look delicious," Rally complimented, gladly tasting one of the round chocolates, "did you make them yourself?"

"Yeah. I hope you like them." Ruka said with a pleased smile.

"Oh I will. Thanks a lot Ruka." Rally said favorably.

"Anytime. I'm always willing to make chocolates for a friend." Ruka stated gleefully.

"I kind of feel bad though, I didn't get you anything for St. Cioccolata." Rally said.

"It's okay. I'm cool. Anyways I should be off to school now." Ruka said. She then turned to leave.

"Wait Ruka." Rally called.

"Hmm?" Ruka faced Rally, eyeing him dubiously. To her surprise, Rally only grinned at her as he suddenly leaned in and planted a kiss on her right cheek. Ruka felt herself turn all shades of red as she touched the spot where she had just been kissed.

"Thank you." Rally said beaming at Ruka affectionately.

"You're…welcome." Ruka stammered, a bit flustered. "Well…bye."

"Bye." Rally sighed as he watched her exit his home. Unbeknownst to Rally, he and Ruka were previously being observed by three nosy bodies who all laughed out loud as soon as Ruka was gone and out of earshot.

"Aww. That's so sweet." Taka cooed.

"Yeah. Our _little_ Rally is growing up." Blitz said, laughing scandalously.

"Seems like Yusei isn't the only one who's found himself a _wife_," Nerve remarked, jeering tauntingly, "anyway you take it, that girl is a _keeper_. I'm almost jealous that a kid who still wets the bed like Rally could find a good girl and I can't. What a shame."

Rally's face turned scarlet as he turned to face the sniggering faces of his friends/roommates who all stood to the back of him sharing an opened box of one of Ruka's homemade chocolates.

"Look at him he's blushing. It's okay Rally, you could tell us that you like Ruka and if it makes you feel any better, we approve of your choice because you and Ruka are the perfect little couple." Nerve goaded.

"Even their names says they're perfect for each other," Blitz said, guffawing loudly as he started singing. "Rally and Ruka sitting in a tree…"

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Taka joined in jubilantly.

"First comes love, then comes marriage," Blitz chorused.

"Then comes Rally and Ruka with a baby carriage." Nerve concluded.

When they were finished, all three men did a triple high-five as they gave another hoot at Rally's humiliated appearance, much to the boy's annoyance. At first there was no feedback on Rally's part but then…

"That's it! Nomore chocolates for you!" Rally boomed at the top of your voice. His outburst was followed by the disapproving cries of his comrades over the uproar. Meanwhile, on the outside, Ruka who had overheard all the commotion only giggled before she skipped off back to school with a smile of pure satisfaction plastered on her face.

* * *

**Mission 02 Complete**! _A Request by _**BebePanda401**. Hope you enjoyed it! 8D

* * *

**Mistress**: Phew! Another requested chappie completed. Apologies for the long wait. This chapter is dedicated to one of my two lucky 100th reviewers. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I liked typing it up. Took me awhile but I'm happy that its finall finished. For this chapter I was met with another challenging pairing that I don't usually write about. She wanted me to do a pairing featuring the twins this time (I did say a dash of Rua and Ruka cuteness, didn't I?). This time I had to do a double pairing: Rua (Leo) and Patty plus Ruka (Luna) and Rally. Choosing the scenario was fun. All in all, even though it's another first for me, I did pretty well given the circumstances and I had fun typing it up. I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter as well.  
Now I only have one more requested chapter to complete and though this one will be the last, it certainly will not be the least. Now? What's the pairing going to be this time? Hmm? If you want to know, y'know the drill? No reviews=No new chapters, the longer you take to review, the longer I'll take to update-and you get the picture. As always, I'd also love to thankseveryone-my fans and readers. Thank you all so much once more. Because of your continuous support, this fanfic has surpassed **120** reviews =D That's awesome! Keep 'em coming guys and I'll keep the chapters coming.  
Until next time readers. Enjoy your summer!  
~Mistress

* * *

**Please** review (will give you chocolates 8D). **Critiques** are welcomed too.


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